This review may contain spoilers
Bonds & Bondages: A Slice of Life Gem
This is a slice of life gem but it is not for everyone. It has a fast-paced and long timeline, is character rich, and very plot driven. The trials the characters go through are non-stop, and each episode featured something that made my blood boil. My blood definitely boiled often! However, I was fully immersed in each episode; equally bracing myself and hoping for the best. Despite their challenges, the siblings always came together--bonded for whatever life threw at them, for better and for worse. The drama spans 31 years and takes place from 1977 to 2008, and the original source writer and screen writer are the same.
The first episode throws you right into the plot. The Qiao family has four children, with the fifth about to be born. Their father is a lazy, self-centered man who gambles and sees his family as nothing but a nuisance and a cramp to his lifestyle. He excels at gaslighting, scamming, and being a neglectful father. While giving birth to the fifth child, their mother dies. This leaves the burden of being both mother and father to the eldest born, Yicheng, who is only 12 years old. Qiqi, the baby, is sent to live with his maternal aunt and uncle. Qiqi becomes the satellite sibling, never in full sight of the core four siblings but always in orbit around them.
The acting in this show shines--every character plays their part very believably. Even the child actors are amazing. I had very strong emotions as I watched, especially towards their father. Each sibling and their father has his/her own storyline, with some plot lines more interesting to consider than others. The characters are layered and there could easily be a full length drama dedicated to the thread of each sibling. I struggled with the constant problems cropping up in each episode. It's like being hit on the head over and over again and having no reprieve! Because the timeline moves quickly, the audience is not privy to everything. It feels like a whirlwind at times, and I wish we had more time to breathe and explore certain points. The realism of family dynamics is a strong point. Even when the drama pushes your blood pressure to the limit, the show captures how messy, stubborn, and deeply ingrained family ties actually are without wrapping everything up in neat, unrealistic bows.
Watching Yicheng constantly put out fires for his siblings was heartbreaking, even as they grew into adults and had their own families everyone still relied on him to lead and problem solve. Every sibling, including Yicheng, struggled to develop healthy romantic partnerships. As a woman, it pained me to see who the sisters chose. Each sister struggled in her own way. The eldest sister, Sanli, embodied the role of eldest daughter--she studied well, is practical, is the peacemaker, and internalized much of her emotions. Sanli unfortunately experiences SA when she is young by her father's friend, and the storyline glosses over how she processes this, most likely due to censorship. The youngest sister, Simei, was in many ways opposite--she is willful (but not malicious), opinionated, externalizes her needs, and romanticizes love. Both experience a character arc due to the weak men they choose as partners, which cause both of them to suffer, take action, and ultimately grow. The tax for choosing the wrong partner is quite high for the whole family. Er Qiang, the second oldest brother, is not academically smart like Yicheng and seeks to live a quiet life with the slightly older woman his heart is set on, who happens to resembles their mother. Qiqi lives a more sheltered life with his aunt, uncle, and cousin Weimin, who is like a big brother to him. Circumstances with a female classmate cause him to grow up faster than anyone would like. Qiqi has far less screen time than his siblings, but he comes full circle.
My favorite relationship was the friendship between Yicheng and his colleague, Song Qingyuan. We rarely see Yicheng relax or be in a playful state. With Qingyuan, Yicheng is able to drop his savior complex to a degree and just be. There is nothing for him to prove to Qingyuan, and as a result they can have playful banter and Qingyuan can call Yicheng out on certain things while also having his back whenever needed. In many ways, Qingyuan is like a brother to him and helps Yicheng to keep his sanity.
I also found Yicheng's relationship with Weimin, his cousin who became Qiqi's biggest advocate, quite interesting! Similar in age and academic capability, they have a push and pull relationship. Yicheng's pride prevents him from being able to accept Weimin's help fully. Towards the end, we learn that Yicheng and Weimin have been jealous of one another for different reasons, and this creates and sustains their tension. Because both men have such good hearts and intentions, I wonder what would have happened if Yicheng was able to drop his defenses and fully view Weimin as his ally. Interestingly enough (spoiler alert), Yicheng's second wife is a blueprint of Weimin--smart, capable, loving, and resourceful. Yicheng's behavior towards his second wife is the exact same as towards Weimin! He pushes her away and hides what he is going through both internally and externally, all due to his pride. Yicheng pushes away the two people in his life who were willing and able to be lifelines to help him navigate his family's complexities. As the story unfolds, I think (I hope!) he realizes that asking for help is not a weakness.
This isn't an easy watch, but it is a rewarding one to see the Qiao siblings stick together and remain a family despite their challenging circumstances and bondages. Life isn't fair and sometimes we make terrible choices that add to our burdens. Despite it all, the siblings chose to remain loyal to one another and I think that is the heart of the drama. It is not for everyone, but a compelling watch if you are a slice of life fan and can weather the hardships they go through.
The first episode throws you right into the plot. The Qiao family has four children, with the fifth about to be born. Their father is a lazy, self-centered man who gambles and sees his family as nothing but a nuisance and a cramp to his lifestyle. He excels at gaslighting, scamming, and being a neglectful father. While giving birth to the fifth child, their mother dies. This leaves the burden of being both mother and father to the eldest born, Yicheng, who is only 12 years old. Qiqi, the baby, is sent to live with his maternal aunt and uncle. Qiqi becomes the satellite sibling, never in full sight of the core four siblings but always in orbit around them.
The acting in this show shines--every character plays their part very believably. Even the child actors are amazing. I had very strong emotions as I watched, especially towards their father. Each sibling and their father has his/her own storyline, with some plot lines more interesting to consider than others. The characters are layered and there could easily be a full length drama dedicated to the thread of each sibling. I struggled with the constant problems cropping up in each episode. It's like being hit on the head over and over again and having no reprieve! Because the timeline moves quickly, the audience is not privy to everything. It feels like a whirlwind at times, and I wish we had more time to breathe and explore certain points. The realism of family dynamics is a strong point. Even when the drama pushes your blood pressure to the limit, the show captures how messy, stubborn, and deeply ingrained family ties actually are without wrapping everything up in neat, unrealistic bows.
Watching Yicheng constantly put out fires for his siblings was heartbreaking, even as they grew into adults and had their own families everyone still relied on him to lead and problem solve. Every sibling, including Yicheng, struggled to develop healthy romantic partnerships. As a woman, it pained me to see who the sisters chose. Each sister struggled in her own way. The eldest sister, Sanli, embodied the role of eldest daughter--she studied well, is practical, is the peacemaker, and internalized much of her emotions. Sanli unfortunately experiences SA when she is young by her father's friend, and the storyline glosses over how she processes this, most likely due to censorship. The youngest sister, Simei, was in many ways opposite--she is willful (but not malicious), opinionated, externalizes her needs, and romanticizes love. Both experience a character arc due to the weak men they choose as partners, which cause both of them to suffer, take action, and ultimately grow. The tax for choosing the wrong partner is quite high for the whole family. Er Qiang, the second oldest brother, is not academically smart like Yicheng and seeks to live a quiet life with the slightly older woman his heart is set on, who happens to resembles their mother. Qiqi lives a more sheltered life with his aunt, uncle, and cousin Weimin, who is like a big brother to him. Circumstances with a female classmate cause him to grow up faster than anyone would like. Qiqi has far less screen time than his siblings, but he comes full circle.
My favorite relationship was the friendship between Yicheng and his colleague, Song Qingyuan. We rarely see Yicheng relax or be in a playful state. With Qingyuan, Yicheng is able to drop his savior complex to a degree and just be. There is nothing for him to prove to Qingyuan, and as a result they can have playful banter and Qingyuan can call Yicheng out on certain things while also having his back whenever needed. In many ways, Qingyuan is like a brother to him and helps Yicheng to keep his sanity.
I also found Yicheng's relationship with Weimin, his cousin who became Qiqi's biggest advocate, quite interesting! Similar in age and academic capability, they have a push and pull relationship. Yicheng's pride prevents him from being able to accept Weimin's help fully. Towards the end, we learn that Yicheng and Weimin have been jealous of one another for different reasons, and this creates and sustains their tension. Because both men have such good hearts and intentions, I wonder what would have happened if Yicheng was able to drop his defenses and fully view Weimin as his ally. Interestingly enough (spoiler alert), Yicheng's second wife is a blueprint of Weimin--smart, capable, loving, and resourceful. Yicheng's behavior towards his second wife is the exact same as towards Weimin! He pushes her away and hides what he is going through both internally and externally, all due to his pride. Yicheng pushes away the two people in his life who were willing and able to be lifelines to help him navigate his family's complexities. As the story unfolds, I think (I hope!) he realizes that asking for help is not a weakness.
This isn't an easy watch, but it is a rewarding one to see the Qiao siblings stick together and remain a family despite their challenging circumstances and bondages. Life isn't fair and sometimes we make terrible choices that add to our burdens. Despite it all, the siblings chose to remain loyal to one another and I think that is the heart of the drama. It is not for everyone, but a compelling watch if you are a slice of life fan and can weather the hardships they go through.
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