I Belonged to Your World (2023)

The saddest happy story.

This is a very simple, funny, and moving story. Twenty-five-year-old Qi Shuo is utterly devastated when his mother Qi Yue dies at an early age after a difficult life. He travels back in time to change her life. The teenage Qi Yue is just a somewhat lonely, happy-go-lucky young girl with no goals or ambitions. She hilariously accepts that she has an adult son and after some initial reluctance, happily goes along with his machinations without looking too deeply into his assertions. She is that kind of oddly naive, scratch-on-the-surface, go-along-get-along kind of person, which is why her life gets so messed up. Qi Shuo is determined to make her go on to university and marry Lu Xiao, a gifted physics student and more importantly, a good man.

The unconventional, comedic, and touching mother-son dynamics between a young man who cajoles, threatens, bullies, badgers and manipulates his teenage mother in line is the best thing about this drama. Qi Yandi and Liu Yitong's heartwarming chemistry and goofy humorous antics as they pursue Lu Xiao had me in stitches. This trio of young main actors really impressed me with their spontaneous and brilliant use of comedy to convey deep emotions. Arguably Lu Xiao is the less interesting role but Wu Difei hits all the right notes with his portrayal of a goofy, romantic and insanely hot nerd. The way his Lu Xiao silently sees everything and steps up to take the baton from Qi Shuo adds a resonating depth to this otherwise archetypal character. Qi Landi also compels as the effervescent Qi Yue who each time lives joyously in the moment, oblivious to any undercurrents until after the point of no return that leaves her shattered. But it is Liu Yitong's stunning portrayal of the quirky, intelligent, diabolical and selfless Qi Shuo, a young man-child that completely floors me. His Qi Shuo is a character that makes me want to laugh as hard as I want to weep. His impish, unadulterated joy as he basks in Qi Yue and Lu Xiao's happiness and affection with the barest sheen of moisture in his eyes is iconic. There is no justice in the drama world if this young actor doesn't go places.

This is a very entertaining and very funny drama that makes it easy for me to forgive its flaws from the choppy editing to some plot holes. It is not perfect and there are some digressions that including Qi Shuo's mini romance that are unnecessary. Even though unlike Qi Yue, I could see the inevitable ending speeding toward me like the white truck of doom, I was still shaken. Despite disconnected cuts that suggest the heavy hand of censorship towards the end, the final message remains intact - " The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There's only one moment for you to live and that is the present moment" - Buddha.

This is far from a perfect drama but it is still a story that will stay with me for a long while. It is quite simply the saddest happy story about the absolute, unconditional love between a child and their parent. I rate this as a very heartwarming and funny 8.0/10.0.

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