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不生不死 Unable to Live, Unable to Die
If I had to describe See You Later… Maybe in one phrase, it would be "reality through exaggeration." The show brilliantly highlights the ironies of life and the misnomer of modern success. Let’s be honest: in today’s internet and social media age, talent without a marketing package is practically buried alive. Virality is the key to exposure, and virality depends on extremities. The more extreme an event or action is, the more viral it goes, and the more "success" one can garner. That’s the formula of our world, and this drama perfectly illustrates the sheer absurdity of it all.
The story follows a washed-up writer, Fang Haowen (played by Jia Bing), and his only true fan, Bie Fan (played by Tian Jiarui). Bie Fan is a brilliant young man on the autism spectrum who happens to be a phenomenal chef because he can memorize every recipe he comes across.
Right off the bat, I should mention the humor. The jokes here often come from laughing at the characters' misery—they are dark, cruel, and incredibly cynical. Yet, as exaggerated as it sounds, the show depicts how the social media marketing world actually works with terrifying realism. Fang Haowen is a mediocre writer, but to market his books today, he is forced to make a choice: sales or dignity? The show perfectly captures the effectiveness of influencer livestreams, while also exposing the truth behind them: despite the "live" label, everything is heavily scripted. It’s all fake.
Plot-wise, the story is a wild fusion of Forrest Gump and a fever dream. It’s filled with bizarre events and a chain of hilariously failed suicide attempts (drinking poison, hitting himself with a spade, hanging, jumping off bridges—you name it). From there, things jump from one surreal scenario to the next, almost like a dream. At one point, he encounters characters from Journey to the West; when Tang Sanzang refuses to take him to the "West" (death), Fang Haowen ends up meeting various sages. He even meets Vincent van Gogh! They have a surprisingly nice conversation where, despite speaking different languages (Mandarin and French), they perfectly understand each other. Van Gogh complains about how poor he was because he couldn't sell his paintings. Later, Fang Haowen and Bie Fan are chased by a tiger that eats Fang Haowen's ear, causing them to fall into a giant hole. After starving for days, a python shows up to eat them, but they end up killing and eating the python instead!
When they finally return to civilization, the story takes a fascinating turn, exploring how AI might replace creative writing. It shows a dystopian future where new books are produced even after the writer dies, and the AI's writing is technically "better." But the catch? AI can't feel. It has no emotions, no tastes, no physical senses. This is exactly when Fang Haowen finally has his realization.
Amidst all this chaos, Bie Fan’s storyline is incredibly heartwarming, tear-jerking, and funny. I love how humor is woven into almost all of his scenes. One of my absolute favorite moments is a very subtle one: he places his mother’s ashes in an urn and puts it right next to the other condiments on his restaurant's seasoning shelf. It’s a quick shot that many viewers might miss, but it is so deeply moving.
Final Thoughts
This drama makes us laugh—not necessarily because the punchlines are traditional jokes, but because we are laughing at the characters' misfortunes. In a way, each character’s story reflects our own lives. But when we watch our own struggles played out on screen, we find it funny. It also doesn't shy away from exposing the dark sides of the publishing and marketing industries, like plagiarism.
The moral of the story asks: What is success? Success isn't about what people say about you; it’s about how meaningfully you live your life. As Bie Fan’s mother told him in her final words: Don't fear failure. Hope is always there. By the end, Fang Haowen realizes that the destination isn't what's important; the important thing is that we finally understand ourselves during the journey.
A quick warning before you watch: if you only watch dramas for the "eye candy" and incredibly good-looking actors, you might want to skip this one, as looks aren't the focus here. But if you appreciate phenomenal acting (especially a standout, transformative performance by Tian Jiarui) and a brilliant, thought-provoking satire about life, you are in for a great watch!
The story follows a washed-up writer, Fang Haowen (played by Jia Bing), and his only true fan, Bie Fan (played by Tian Jiarui). Bie Fan is a brilliant young man on the autism spectrum who happens to be a phenomenal chef because he can memorize every recipe he comes across.
Right off the bat, I should mention the humor. The jokes here often come from laughing at the characters' misery—they are dark, cruel, and incredibly cynical. Yet, as exaggerated as it sounds, the show depicts how the social media marketing world actually works with terrifying realism. Fang Haowen is a mediocre writer, but to market his books today, he is forced to make a choice: sales or dignity? The show perfectly captures the effectiveness of influencer livestreams, while also exposing the truth behind them: despite the "live" label, everything is heavily scripted. It’s all fake.
Plot-wise, the story is a wild fusion of Forrest Gump and a fever dream. It’s filled with bizarre events and a chain of hilariously failed suicide attempts (drinking poison, hitting himself with a spade, hanging, jumping off bridges—you name it). From there, things jump from one surreal scenario to the next, almost like a dream. At one point, he encounters characters from Journey to the West; when Tang Sanzang refuses to take him to the "West" (death), Fang Haowen ends up meeting various sages. He even meets Vincent van Gogh! They have a surprisingly nice conversation where, despite speaking different languages (Mandarin and French), they perfectly understand each other. Van Gogh complains about how poor he was because he couldn't sell his paintings. Later, Fang Haowen and Bie Fan are chased by a tiger that eats Fang Haowen's ear, causing them to fall into a giant hole. After starving for days, a python shows up to eat them, but they end up killing and eating the python instead!
When they finally return to civilization, the story takes a fascinating turn, exploring how AI might replace creative writing. It shows a dystopian future where new books are produced even after the writer dies, and the AI's writing is technically "better." But the catch? AI can't feel. It has no emotions, no tastes, no physical senses. This is exactly when Fang Haowen finally has his realization.
Amidst all this chaos, Bie Fan’s storyline is incredibly heartwarming, tear-jerking, and funny. I love how humor is woven into almost all of his scenes. One of my absolute favorite moments is a very subtle one: he places his mother’s ashes in an urn and puts it right next to the other condiments on his restaurant's seasoning shelf. It’s a quick shot that many viewers might miss, but it is so deeply moving.
Final Thoughts
This drama makes us laugh—not necessarily because the punchlines are traditional jokes, but because we are laughing at the characters' misfortunes. In a way, each character’s story reflects our own lives. But when we watch our own struggles played out on screen, we find it funny. It also doesn't shy away from exposing the dark sides of the publishing and marketing industries, like plagiarism.
The moral of the story asks: What is success? Success isn't about what people say about you; it’s about how meaningfully you live your life. As Bie Fan’s mother told him in her final words: Don't fear failure. Hope is always there. By the end, Fang Haowen realizes that the destination isn't what's important; the important thing is that we finally understand ourselves during the journey.
A quick warning before you watch: if you only watch dramas for the "eye candy" and incredibly good-looking actors, you might want to skip this one, as looks aren't the focus here. But if you appreciate phenomenal acting (especially a standout, transformative performance by Tian Jiarui) and a brilliant, thought-provoking satire about life, you are in for a great watch!
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