The 1970s setting makes some of the romcom beats and tropes used in this drama feel very fresh. I'm impressed by how the production team managed to balance the sheer sweetness with the very real struggles of that time period. Doesn't feel constricted.
I absolutely love this drama. Period setting + romance + slice of life is my kryptonite.
The Chinese title, which translates to something like "Love in the Age of Innocence", is very fitting. You can't help but smile watching Fei Ni and Fang Muyang. I love it when I can easily imagine a couple growing old together. They are suitable precisely because they accept each other as they are. So heartwarming and so very sweet.
I really like Fang Mujing and Qu Hua as well. They provide a great contrast to our leads. Never a dull moment.
Iām watching both Unveil: Jadewind and How Dare You, and it just dawned on me that Bai Lu and Cheng Lei have an upcoming drama together. It could be a fun game to try to connect all these big platform C-drama actors. For starters: Bai Lu worked with Zhang Linghe, who worked with Wang Churan, who worked with Cheng Lei, who worked with Bai Luā¦ Wang Xingyue worked with Lu Yuxiao, who worked with Cheng Lei, who worked with Bai Lu, who worked with Wang Xingyueā¦! I think he's filming a modern drama with Deng Enxi, who worked with Ding Yuxi, who worked with Yu Shuxin, who worked with Zhang Linghe, who worked with Xu Ruohan, who worked with Cheng Lei... Itās almost too easy.
Canāt wait! There have been a lot of high-profile releases early this year, but this is the one Iāve been most excited about. Sun Qian is like a burst of sunshine, and Chen Feiyu always manages to charm me somehow. Guo Xiaoting and Wang Tianchen are also great.
Watching this drama, aside from some subpar acting, the complete lack of chemistry between the main leads (which is of utmost importance in a romance-focused drama! A lot of bad shows are regarded positively because of good chemistry), and those excessive light leak overlay effects, I came to realize that I just donāt like the story of Strobe Edge at all.
At some point (about halfway through the first season) it got so tiring and repetitive. Itās just Ninako constantly thinking to herself about how much she likes Renā¦ but sheās fine with just being friends with him! Itās enough! But maybe she wonāt be able to hold in her feelings after allā¦ but she will! She wonāt! Now heās single, so she can admit she wants to be his girlfriend, yadda yadda yadda. That, and Ren being generally stone-faced and emotionless (and not in the charming way some characters do manage to pull off), to the point where you start questioning why FL even likes him so much in the first place.
I didnāt like Ninako, I didnāt like Ren, and I didnāt care about the other characters enough to justify my watching. Still, it's short, so I finished it. It was filmed nicely too. The 2015 movie isnāt great, but itās better than this drama.
Anpan is the first asadora Iāve watched from start to finish in the last ten years or so, and in many ways it felt like a new experience. Thereās something bittersweet about it, as you grow quite attached to the characters. I watched Amachan and Mare when I was at most 12 or 13 years old... itās been so long and I've changed so much that I feel I should pick them up again sometime. Especially the former.
Iām currently watching Asa ga Kita (going into week 9 now), and I really like it as well.
Anata no Ban Desu is not a perfect drama by any means, but it possesses a very important quality for a mystery (and perhaps the most important of them all): itās extremely addictive. The premise is interesting, which keeps you seated even when it doesnāt make sense anymore. Itās stylistically straightforward with some kind of strangeness lurking underneath. There are some standout performances (Nao plays the creepy Ono to perfection), and some bad ones, but it doesnāt affect the viewing experience. Oh, and the OP is great!
It made me want to finish it, turn off the television and find a good mystery book to read. Iām glad I watched this.
First episode impressions: I went in with no expectations, but I have to admit that I loved it. The main leads are really charming, and the actors suit their characters well. Very fast paced. With the story spanning multiple destinations, Iām especially excited about the beautiful backdrops. Enoshima was breathtaking.
Still, I'm afraid that this might turn into yet another case of a strong start losing momentum into a draggy middle and a meh ending (which, in my opinion, it's not only a K-drama issue... many C-dramas fall into the same pattern. I guess opinions naturally differ when it comes to that because Chinese (idol) dramas have only become exponentially more popular with international audiences relatively recently, like I would say... 2020? 2022? Which is a very short time when compared to how long K-dramas have had the upper hand in terms of global exposure). I like this story, so fingers crossed.
I also wish Netflix would release their original shows weekly. It's better for the viewers and for the production itself, as it allows for momentum and engagement to build over time. Even disappointment feels more meaningful when youāve invested weeks into a story, allowing it space to linger in your heart.
What a beautiful drama and a great start to 2026. Ning Xiuxiu has become one of my favorite lead characters. Despite all the hardships she went through, she refused to sink into self-pity and instead built herself a beautiful life amid bitter days. I teared up more than once.
Of course, one canāt talk about This Thriving Land without mentioning the excellent work of the entire cast, and I have to say there wasnāt a single weak link. A tour de force for all involved. This is a must-watch for anyone who appreciates a good story about ordinary people persevering through hard times.
I wanted a Love, Rosie situation instead of the ending we got. I get that sometimes life sucks and circumstances happen and people leave, but honestly...
It's funny because I couldn't connect to this drama as much as I wanted to (even though it's objectively very good), but the very last scene got me bawling like a little kid. ėķ¬ė.
The Chinese title, which translates to something like "Love in the Age of Innocence", is very fitting. You can't help but smile watching Fei Ni and Fang Muyang. I love it when I can easily imagine a couple growing old together. They are suitable precisely because they accept each other as they are. So heartwarming and so very sweet.
I really like Fang Mujing and Qu Hua as well. They provide a great contrast to our leads. Never a dull moment.
At some point (about halfway through the first season) it got so tiring and repetitive. Itās just Ninako constantly thinking to herself about how much she likes Renā¦ but sheās fine with just being friends with him! Itās enough! But maybe she wonāt be able to hold in her feelings after allā¦ but she will! She wonāt! Now heās single, so she can admit she wants to be his girlfriend, yadda yadda yadda. That, and Ren being generally stone-faced and emotionless (and not in the charming way some characters do manage to pull off), to the point where you start questioning why FL even likes him so much in the first place.
I didnāt like Ninako, I didnāt like Ren, and I didnāt care about the other characters enough to justify my watching. Still, it's short, so I finished it. It was filmed nicely too. The 2015 movie isnāt great, but itās better than this drama.
Iām currently watching Asa ga Kita (going into week 9 now), and I really like it as well.
It made me want to finish it, turn off the television and find a good mystery book to read. Iām glad I watched this.
Still, I'm afraid that this might turn into yet another case of a strong start losing momentum into a draggy middle and a meh ending (which, in my opinion, it's not only a K-drama issue... many C-dramas fall into the same pattern. I guess opinions naturally differ when it comes to that because Chinese (idol) dramas have only become exponentially more popular with international audiences relatively recently, like I would say... 2020? 2022? Which is a very short time when compared to how long K-dramas have had the upper hand in terms of global exposure). I like this story, so fingers crossed.
I also wish Netflix would release their original shows weekly. It's better for the viewers and for the production itself, as it allows for momentum and engagement to build over time. Even disappointment feels more meaningful when youāve invested weeks into a story, allowing it space to linger in your heart.
Of course, one canāt talk about This Thriving Land without mentioning the excellent work of the entire cast, and I have to say there wasnāt a single weak link. A tour de force for all involved. This is a must-watch for anyone who appreciates a good story about ordinary people persevering through hard times.