"Dream of Golden Years" is well-executed, for more than 95% of the drama. Why this drama stands out is…
I don't know if Republican-era espionage thrillers are up your alley (the cast is usually fairly strong including the leads), so I won't rec those.
Since you like "Dream of Golden Years", consider checking out "Twelve Letters", "The Miracles" (a compilation of short stories related to Shenzhen's development), and perhaps "Beloved" (if you are curious about crime-thrillers with psychological themes). The acting for those options are definitely of a certain standard at the very least similar to this drama, the scripts are fairly tight, and the directing is professionally engaging in a realistic manner while reflecting an understanding of the screenwriter(s) visions.
This show was a really great surprise. I picked it up randomly as I waited for new of Pursuit of Jade, and then…
"Dream of Golden Years" is well-executed, for more than 95% of the drama. Why this drama stands out is not because it is time travel enabling FL to change her future, but because FL no longer remains as a passive fence-sitter of issues assuming personal success is sufficient self-protection for a sole person ie herself. FL followed all the rules and squashed her own dreams as a people-pleaser in her original timeline but gets framed for being a people-pleasing team player, so she decisively transforms to become an active go-getter willing to use all her modern skills to tackle the challenges of the reform era and protect her loved ones, and also wanting people to succeed with her.
Hark work and having the initiative to create opportunities and tackle obstacles head-on is the key, rather than avoiding unpleasant people and giving in to them just to keep a peace that is dependent on them. FL seizes the reins in a graceful observant manner, and learns to also open up to people and have close friends. This is how FL enabled horrible misogynistic traditions to be confronted and altered, such as empowering her mother and other women to have a modern mindset of feminine independence still mindful of a supportive team being necessary to succeed. And not being afraid to start over or think big, because all along, the strength you need is always inside you.
All this is because the primary screenwriter is consistent from start to end while able to utilise her writing strengths ie specific emphasis on women empowerment plus general inspirational stories, and the director also understands the vision of the screenwriter, plus they clearly grasped the source material and actively considered individual characters of the ensemble cast carefully while still enabling FL to stand out. FL is almost twice the age of the ML from an emotional and mental perspective at the beginning, and the carefully-technical screenplay plus post-production editing allows for ML to become her equal in a natural manner through different events and sharing perspectives.
They also clearly had at least two options for an ending, knowing the first preferred option likely would not pass censorship.
Everybody picks dramas for different reasons. Some will pick based on cast members or specific artists. A few of us pick dramas primarily because we can vet the crew combo of director(s) and screenwriter(s) and supporting cast members, and not just because of one screenwriter or director (that is how I picked this drama to watch).
What type of main characters (ML and/or FL) do you want to watch? Any specific genre?
This is such an underrated drama, very well made! I am now up to ep 28 and especially like Liu Fen's character…
I have watched 31 episodes. Her first pair of earrings in episode 11 are my favourite earrings of hers, this far. Maybe somebody should make an MDL quiz about personalities based on her earrings XD
Express package now available for IQiyi VIP members, for episodes 32 to 36! Looking forward to binging everything this weekend!
I don't know if the " Yun Chu's Vengeance starring Esther Yu Shuxin and Zhang Yun Long will have many revisions…
Finished the novel. Since it is only 24 episodes, I definitely believe there will be some changes from the novel. But I also believe the main gist of the storyline will be retained plus certain other details, judging by the BTS including Esther Yu's costume changes. Very much looking forward to the final outcome :)
Every article here is published under one name under all. New to the site compared to some but that's something…
There are plenty of other contributors. Some are on hiatus. Others have health issues or other offline issues (whereby they no longer have time to write). All contributions as per those I have communicated with (we don't post everyday) are solely voluntary, in our own time.
As to the internal politics of MDL's inner circles, I am not privy to it.
There is a publishing process to adhere to, which I was informed about by more than one editor. I have a suitable writing background, otherwise I wouldn't qualify. Without sufficient fluency in mandarin and English (Google Translate won't cut it and neither can Chat GPT) , many details in the "Blades of The Guardians" article would not be available as the article I put together.
I don't like the comment the other poster added after sharing my profile with you, because their two comments come across as targeting me and fellow MDL users in writing such as CryssyAnne because of their own agenda. MDL will let anyone write anything these days? No.
The other poster obviously has an axe to grind with the Lily Alice account? That is their prerogative. That is not for me to judge.
The other poster will not be able to qualify for the publishing process (their style of writing definitely disqualifies them), plus it is the level of unrecyclable sewage to snipe behind the backs of others who can do what they cannot.
Frost_edelweiss has created a wonderful thread of detailed information for music used throughout the drama including which episode, and I heartily recommend her efforts:
I don't like Ji Ya and she isn't a good person in how she behaves towards her ex, and how she also ends up making her brother and sister-in-law clean her messes. However, given how divorces can make some people crazier even if they are the one at fault, I hope she goes to America, loves George as he deserves to be loved, and becomes a decent person.
XiaoLan, “Happiness has no actual answer…” Really feel that the modern XiaoLan’s Aunty is so lack of empathy,…
It's almost tempting to kidnap Zhou Cheng, but doing so would be useless. His heart is full of Xia Xiaolan. Best for me to find my blend of Zhou Cheng-Mayor Tang!
XiaoLan, “Happiness has no actual answer…” Really feel that the modern XiaoLan’s Aunty is so lack of empathy,…
I usually don't melt completely with dialogues, but the dialogue between Zhou Cheng and Xiaolan in episode 26 was sososososojustright!
He knows that neither of them can change anything, and he can hear Xiaolan's fears which she is voicing out clearly (good for her! She's really come a long way to be so bravely open with emotional vulnerability)... So the best logical approach is to grasp today, not fear tomorrow, and be there for each other. Having such empathetic support is wonderful.
In episode 27, she believes she doesn't exist in the current timeline as she does now, while in 2026 when she is 36, she also believes he doesn't exist there as well.
I like how he says "I will find a way". Does the alarm clock have anything to do with it? Wait, he read her diary and if she returns to the future, can he go to the future with the alarm clock that he bought for her, find her, and bring them both back?
Every article here is published under one name under all. New to the site compared to some but that's something…
I have co-authored only two articles, and my name is clearly listed on the relevant articles with other MDL users. I'm not an editor nor can I publish articles, and I have to submit the necessary in order for anything to be published.
Do you have a problem with my articles? These are listed under my profile:
One of my co-authors is Cryssy Anne, an MDL user who has been writing articles on MDL since 2020, hence she has more than 70 articles published. Do you have a problem with her articles?
Now thats not something one would like to hear especially if they reconsidering whether to start the show or not.
Frankness is the best policy. Dishonesty from troll accounts that hate the ML (especially one account pretending to be his fan, until this drama aired) led to unnecessary melodrama throughout the airing that other accounts didn't like.
Whispers of Fate is about a powerful protagonist who decides how he intends to achieve his goals and whether he should shoulder responsibilities. Buddhism plays a growing role in his personal evolution. This particular drama is heavily layered with Chinese literature and cultural references, such as the influence of Chinese opera for the villains.
There's no CP for ML just like the novel, and hence there's no romance tags for this drama. Brotherhood is key to him. There are fascinating personal stories and interesting characters (male and female) which he forms friendships with or is antagonistically against, plus riveting fights. If you like the animation "Beyond Time's Gaze" based on an Ergen novel where Xu Qing's most important people are mostly males because of kindnesses rendered to him and wuxia themes are strong, "Whispers of Fate" may be up your alley.
Otherwise, I hope you find a drama you like :) Have a good week ahead!
oh right how old was she when she transmigrated because i'm confused. she transmigrated in 2026 right? and zhou…
She is a 36-year-old successful modern executive with high sales record made into a scapegoat by her company, who fell asleep in utter despair facing the risk of jail, and I assumed her consciousness or soul goes back in time into the body of an 18-year-old with the same name. 18-year-old Xia Xiaolan of 1983 had attempted suicide after being accused of immorality, leading to a badly-tarnished reputation in 1983 within Dahe Village. That is why you see the bandage around 18-year-old Xia Xiaolan's head and that Xia Xiaolan regains consciousness, in episode one.
[ 剧中，夏晓兰穿越回1983年，本质上是一个36岁灵魂寄居在18岁身体里的“孤儿”，她的核心目标是改变命运、守护家人和自我实现。] - I also share this from a news article, in case you need something more than what I am saying.
To cement the horrible social class circumstances and societal expectations of that era in a rural village, the matriarch of the family that her mother married into had no trouble publicly proclaiming that Xia Xiaolan's mother cannot give birth to sons while only having a shameless immoral daughter, hence such a daughter-in-law for Grandma Xia could do the Xia family a favour and die.
The original 36-year-old Xia Xiaolan can be perceived as living a dream, after her consciousness wakes up in 1983. I have not forgotten her sleeping body in the original timeline. When and how this "Dream of Golden Years" ends is not the core focus of this drama, but Zhou Ye as Xia Xiaolan can be seen in various episodes struggling to figure out whether there are other transmigrators, when her time in this era ends, and also believes with dread the possibility of leaving behind everything in this lifetime when she returns to her original timeline. Whether her beliefs are correct or not will depend on the ending of this drama, because this drama already has certain differences from the novel.
As an architecture major, to be honest, I wasn't impressed by Xia Xiaolan's idea of an infinity pool. But before…
Thanks for sharing about infinity swimming pools in resorts of Hawaii, where you are. This drama is set in China, not USA. History-wise, swimming pools in China finally improved within the 1980s, despite the concept of general swimming pools being built earlier such as by 1940s but suffering multiple issues including no ventilation or heating facilities. This problem for public swimming pools persisted into the 1950s and for more than 3 decades since the 1940s, due to economical and technological issues.
In the 90s, entertainment swimming pools were finally built in China, mainly in high-end guest hotels or guesthouses. Xiaolan is in the early 90s after episode 20, so an infinity pool for guests would have been pioneering during that time in China and only affordable for an expensive hotel project in a major city that can obtain enough support plus funding. That is why the obtainable loan amount from a bank is also crucial, which this drama alludes to in episodes 24 and 25.
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Since you like "Dream of Golden Years", consider checking out "Twelve Letters", "The Miracles" (a compilation of short stories related to Shenzhen's development), and perhaps "Beloved" (if you are curious about crime-thrillers with psychological themes). The acting for those options are definitely of a certain standard at the very least similar to this drama, the scripts are fairly tight, and the directing is professionally engaging in a realistic manner while reflecting an understanding of the screenwriter(s) visions.
Hark work and having the initiative to create opportunities and tackle obstacles head-on is the key, rather than avoiding unpleasant people and giving in to them just to keep a peace that is dependent on them. FL seizes the reins in a graceful observant manner, and learns to also open up to people and have close friends. This is how FL enabled horrible misogynistic traditions to be confronted and altered, such as empowering her mother and other women to have a modern mindset of feminine independence still mindful of a supportive team being necessary to succeed. And not being afraid to start over or think big, because all along, the strength you need is always inside you.
All this is because the primary screenwriter is consistent from start to end while able to utilise her writing strengths ie specific emphasis on women empowerment plus general inspirational stories, and the director also understands the vision of the screenwriter, plus they clearly grasped the source material and actively considered individual characters of the ensemble cast carefully while still enabling FL to stand out. FL is almost twice the age of the ML from an emotional and mental perspective at the beginning, and the carefully-technical screenplay plus post-production editing allows for ML to become her equal in a natural manner through different events and sharing perspectives.
They also clearly had at least two options for an ending, knowing the first preferred option likely would not pass censorship.
Everybody picks dramas for different reasons. Some will pick based on cast members or specific artists. A few of us pick dramas primarily because we can vet the crew combo of director(s) and screenwriter(s) and supporting cast members, and not just because of one screenwriter or director (that is how I picked this drama to watch).
What type of main characters (ML and/or FL) do you want to watch? Any specific genre?
And that ending of two possibilities was an uplifting inspiring finish promising another wonderful start and continuation!
Express package now available for IQiyi VIP members, for episodes 32 to 36! Looking forward to binging everything this weekend!
As to the internal politics of MDL's inner circles, I am not privy to it.
There is a publishing process to adhere to, which I was informed about by more than one editor. I have a suitable writing background, otherwise I wouldn't qualify. Without sufficient fluency in mandarin and English (Google Translate won't cut it and neither can Chat GPT) , many details in the "Blades of The Guardians" article would not be available as the article I put together.
I don't like the comment the other poster added after sharing my profile with you, because their two comments come across as targeting me and fellow MDL users in writing such as CryssyAnne because of their own agenda. MDL will let anyone write anything these days? No.
The other poster obviously has an axe to grind with the Lily Alice account? That is their prerogative. That is not for me to judge.
The other poster will not be able to qualify for the publishing process (their style of writing definitely disqualifies them), plus it is the level of unrecyclable sewage to snipe behind the backs of others who can do what they cannot.
Decent to good Op-Eds for MDL, IMHO:
Op-Ed: https://news.mydramalist.com/article/my-appreciation-of-thai-lakorns-011013125
Op-Ed: https://news.mydramalist.com/article/jeana-s-unpopular-opinion-infuriating-drama-heroines-011013509
Op-Ed: https://news.mydramalist.com/article/top-10-most-popular-loved-chinese-bromances
Op-Ed: https://news.mydramalist.com/article/if-outlander-was-adapted-to-korean-drama-011015139
Op-Ed: https://news.mydramalist.com/article/stages-of-dropping-dramas-011015145
This is a collaborative article of at least seven editors and writers: https://news.mydramalist.com/article/ask-mdl-action-011013313
I find this to be an awesome article:
https://news.mydramalist.com/article/blast-from-the-past-a-guide-to-girls-with-guns-genre-011013194
Enjoy your time on MDL :)
And be careful of accounts that give you overly-selective views, for their own agenda.
Just make sure you get enough sleep, even if you choose to binge.
https://kisskh.at/776939-again-my-life#comment-25590578
https://kisskh.at/discussions/776939-again-my-life/149650-1983-dream-of-golden-years-ost-music
He knows that neither of them can change anything, and he can hear Xiaolan's fears which she is voicing out clearly (good for her! She's really come a long way to be so bravely open with emotional vulnerability)... So the best logical approach is to grasp today, not fear tomorrow, and be there for each other. Having such empathetic support is wonderful.
In episode 27, she believes she doesn't exist in the current timeline as she does now, while in 2026 when she is 36, she also believes he doesn't exist there as well.
I like how he says "I will find a way". Does the alarm clock have anything to do with it? Wait, he read her diary and if she returns to the future, can he go to the future with the alarm clock that he bought for her, find her, and bring them both back?
Do you have a problem with my articles? These are listed under my profile:
https://news.mydramalist.com/article/cinematic-wuxia-epic-blades-of-the-guardians-premieres-on-february-17
https://news.mydramalist.com/article/suikoden-star-studded-cast-in-drama-adaptation-of-award-winning-novel-premieres-15-february
One of my co-authors is Cryssy Anne, an MDL user who has been writing articles on MDL since 2020, hence she has more than 70 articles published. Do you have a problem with her articles?
https://kisskh.at/profile/Cryssy/articles
Whispers of Fate is about a powerful protagonist who decides how he intends to achieve his goals and whether he should shoulder responsibilities. Buddhism plays a growing role in his personal evolution. This particular drama is heavily layered with Chinese literature and cultural references, such as the influence of Chinese opera for the villains.
There's no CP for ML just like the novel, and hence there's no romance tags for this drama. Brotherhood is key to him. There are fascinating personal stories and interesting characters (male and female) which he forms friendships with or is antagonistically against, plus riveting fights. If you like the animation "Beyond Time's Gaze" based on an Ergen novel where Xu Qing's most important people are mostly males because of kindnesses rendered to him and wuxia themes are strong, "Whispers of Fate" may be up your alley.
Otherwise, I hope you find a drama you like :) Have a good week ahead!
https://yule.360.com/detail/4978697
[ 剧中，夏晓兰穿越回1983年，本质上是一个36岁灵魂寄居在18岁身体里的“孤儿”，她的核心目标是改变命运、守护家人和自我实现。] - I also share this from a news article, in case you need something more than what I am saying.
To cement the horrible social class circumstances and societal expectations of that era in a rural village, the matriarch of the family that her mother married into had no trouble publicly proclaiming that Xia Xiaolan's mother cannot give birth to sons while only having a shameless immoral daughter, hence such a daughter-in-law for Grandma Xia could do the Xia family a favour and die.
The original 36-year-old Xia Xiaolan can be perceived as living a dream, after her consciousness wakes up in 1983. I have not forgotten her sleeping body in the original timeline. When and how this "Dream of Golden Years" ends is not the core focus of this drama, but Zhou Ye as Xia Xiaolan can be seen in various episodes struggling to figure out whether there are other transmigrators, when her time in this era ends, and also believes with dread the possibility of leaving behind everything in this lifetime when she returns to her original timeline. Whether her beliefs are correct or not will depend on the ending of this drama, because this drama already has certain differences from the novel.
In the 90s, entertainment swimming pools were finally built in China, mainly in high-end guest hotels or guesthouses. Xiaolan is in the early 90s after episode 20, so an infinity pool for guests would have been pioneering during that time in China and only affordable for an expensive hotel project in a major city that can obtain enough support plus funding. That is why the obtainable loan amount from a bank is also crucial, which this drama alludes to in episodes 24 and 25.
https://www.zhihu.com/en/article/35283120