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Outstanding drama about an iconic and unprecedented decade – the 80s.
Like a Flowing River is a splendid drama depicting an iconic and unprecedented decade – the 80s - in a grounded and human way. It's difficult to portray all the changes that China went through during these first ten years of the Reform and Opening Up while capturing both the grand picture and the daily lives of ordinary people, but somehow this drama manages to do it.
In 1978, after years of a centralized planned economy and being closed off to the world, China began an unprecedented transformation in history that has impacted the world beyond imagination, with changes still continuing into the 21st century. These first two decades lasting until 2000 are known as the Reform and Opening Up*.*
In Like a Flowing River we see the first part of this transformation - from 1978 until 1988 - , while the second and third seasons cover the following years. Set in eastern China, we experience what the Reform and Opening Up meant through the lives of the three main protagonists: a university graduate who will enter the production industry, a local Party leader in rural areas, and a private entrepreneur.
The Execution
Based on a novel, the adapted script is so well written that I took notes on many life lessons to remember, reflect on, and apply to my own life. The excellent performances from the whole cast, led by Wang Kai, Yang Shuo and Tong Yao, do full justice to the characters and the story, under the magnificent direction of Kong Sheng and Huang Wei. It was produced by Daylight Entertainment – and as always, if DE is involved, you can rest assured the final product will be of high quality, even if it's not necessarily your taste.
I love the storytelling. There’s no messy start, no reliance on flashbacks, no constant jumping between multiple characters and storylines from the beginning that prevent you from connecting with them or that make you struggle to follow each storyline. Instead, everything is presented in a clear and smooth way, without oversimplifying. Nothing feels fake or forced, also doesn’t shy away from hardship, whether from the previous or the current period.
The Story
I mean, a drama that can make you eagerly want to watch the next episode while dealing with seemingly dry themes, at least deserves a try.
Starting in 1978 with the restoration of the Gaokao, the National University Entrance Exams - which marked the ending of the Maoist-era recommendation system -, we see throughout 48 episodes how the collective farming, which had been pushing people into poverty, was replaced with a family-based land leasing system where farmers could sell the surplus on the open market, the legalization of private businesses – yes, they were forbidden before –, and the government promoting rural enterprises collectively owned by townships and villages.
The drama also depicts how state-owned enterprises gained autonomy in production, pricing, and profit retention, and even shows the introduction of the dual-track price system, allowing goods to be sold at both state-set plan prices and higher market prices, gradually shifting toward market mechanisms. And of course, we see how the quality of life was gradually improving.
Not only do we see the main transformations through the intertwined lives of the three protagonists and their relationships, but we also understand what they meant, the challenges they represented, and we also get invested emotionally in the characters’ struggles and achievements! Outstanding indeed.
Final thoughts
Two things to highlight: my love for a secondary character, Xun Jian Xiang (played by Zhao Da); and the overall positive feeling that runs through the story. The words from A Nai, the author of the novel on which the drama is based, sum it up perfectly:
"We are so fortunate to be able to catch up with the era of China's rising fortune. I don't want to fail this era. I'm blessed to be living in an unprecedented era of change."
Despite its length, I didn't want Like a Flowing River to end. This drama entered, without hesitation, my all-time favourites list and luckily, seasons 2 and 3 covering the remaining years until the end of the '90s are already out!
In 1978, after years of a centralized planned economy and being closed off to the world, China began an unprecedented transformation in history that has impacted the world beyond imagination, with changes still continuing into the 21st century. These first two decades lasting until 2000 are known as the Reform and Opening Up*.*
In Like a Flowing River we see the first part of this transformation - from 1978 until 1988 - , while the second and third seasons cover the following years. Set in eastern China, we experience what the Reform and Opening Up meant through the lives of the three main protagonists: a university graduate who will enter the production industry, a local Party leader in rural areas, and a private entrepreneur.
The Execution
Based on a novel, the adapted script is so well written that I took notes on many life lessons to remember, reflect on, and apply to my own life. The excellent performances from the whole cast, led by Wang Kai, Yang Shuo and Tong Yao, do full justice to the characters and the story, under the magnificent direction of Kong Sheng and Huang Wei. It was produced by Daylight Entertainment – and as always, if DE is involved, you can rest assured the final product will be of high quality, even if it's not necessarily your taste.
I love the storytelling. There’s no messy start, no reliance on flashbacks, no constant jumping between multiple characters and storylines from the beginning that prevent you from connecting with them or that make you struggle to follow each storyline. Instead, everything is presented in a clear and smooth way, without oversimplifying. Nothing feels fake or forced, also doesn’t shy away from hardship, whether from the previous or the current period.
The Story
I mean, a drama that can make you eagerly want to watch the next episode while dealing with seemingly dry themes, at least deserves a try.
Starting in 1978 with the restoration of the Gaokao, the National University Entrance Exams - which marked the ending of the Maoist-era recommendation system -, we see throughout 48 episodes how the collective farming, which had been pushing people into poverty, was replaced with a family-based land leasing system where farmers could sell the surplus on the open market, the legalization of private businesses – yes, they were forbidden before –, and the government promoting rural enterprises collectively owned by townships and villages.
The drama also depicts how state-owned enterprises gained autonomy in production, pricing, and profit retention, and even shows the introduction of the dual-track price system, allowing goods to be sold at both state-set plan prices and higher market prices, gradually shifting toward market mechanisms. And of course, we see how the quality of life was gradually improving.
Not only do we see the main transformations through the intertwined lives of the three protagonists and their relationships, but we also understand what they meant, the challenges they represented, and we also get invested emotionally in the characters’ struggles and achievements! Outstanding indeed.
Final thoughts
Two things to highlight: my love for a secondary character, Xun Jian Xiang (played by Zhao Da); and the overall positive feeling that runs through the story. The words from A Nai, the author of the novel on which the drama is based, sum it up perfectly:
"We are so fortunate to be able to catch up with the era of China's rising fortune. I don't want to fail this era. I'm blessed to be living in an unprecedented era of change."
Despite its length, I didn't want Like a Flowing River to end. This drama entered, without hesitation, my all-time favourites list and luckily, seasons 2 and 3 covering the remaining years until the end of the '90s are already out!
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