Flawed, irritating at times, but worthwhile
This Drama had a lot of really good points to it. I had been waiting for it for more than a year, after seeing Zhou Yu Tong's great performance in Begin Again, and it did not disappoint. Her performance her as a very relaisitic character was impressive. As someone with a congenital disability, I enjoyed watching her character's arc from that perspective. It was also great that there was no trace of maudlin sympathy for her or excusing/grlorifying her personality flaws because of a 'she's disabled, let her off' kind of approach.That lack of maudlin sympathy though was taken to extremes in the many scenes related to death and mourning. The "we're all gonna die, suck it up don't cry" mantra was megaphoned too often for my tastes. Others have accused the writer of doing a sloppy job, and that may be true, but having seen the dead hand (ha!) of SARFT at work for a decade now, my first reaction to such unsubtle preaching is to suspect state-mandate.
The other thing I really, REALLY hted were the constant references to the virtue of being fair-skinned. In a Drama that kept preaching against prejudice, to hear many characters including the FL repeatedly spouting THIS prejudice was really irksome
Despite that, there was a lot of very real and relatable human emotion on display. The leads were very flawed and complicated and that was great. The show also suprised me with it's repeated messages about gender equality - chauvinist misogyny is the norm in moden C Dramas, so this was very refreshing. I was REALLY surprised at what seemed to be a VERY clear "I'm gay" moment for one character. Given the crackdown obn BL Dramasa either SARFT missed it or they decided to let it pass.
I absolutely LOVED Wan Peng' role as the FL's BFF and the young actor playing her little sister was superb. Given the realistically open ending, the more extreme ending that was teased at the beginning of the final episode would not have been out of place either.
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Teach us about life,death,relationship and love
Main crdedits goes to Chen Maidong.His acting is really good .His cold exterior and soft heart won my heart.He truelly loved fl . FL acting is good but little bit overtop.she loved him but had lot of concerns to be in serious relationship.side cast was also good.I would like to re-watch it but only for chen maidongVond je deze recentie nuttig?
It's like an emo teenage kid writing poems about life and death
This was a promising drama but I dropped it for four reasons:(1) Love ZYT but the FL is too frivolous for my taste. Her flirting makes me cringe. Girl, get some self-respect and boundaries.
(2) The ML is like every other ML in every other drama. Stoic, expressionless, unkind towards FL. Why FL likes ML is a wonder at all - and don't get me started on the childhood sweethearts thing; dramaland has lost all originality.
(2) Unnecessary, completely gratuitous face slapping, when words and actual acting would more than suffice. What a weak storytelling device.
(3) Preachiness. Too much preachiness. About death. About life. About everything. So dramatic. All makjang.
It's giving "Look at me, I'm so deep, writing poems about life and death" vibe. I'm over it. Can't keep watching.
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Only we can decide how we want to live and love
“The first time I truly felt happy is when I knew I have the ability to love my family. Even when I am disabled, it didn’t stop me from providing for them.” Zhuang Jie~~~~
Zhuang Jie was like any other lady. In fact, she was more charming and chic than your girl next door. Except she had a disability - she lost a leg and her father from a bad accident during her teens.
This trip back to Nanjing was to recuperate from her surgery. She never planned to stay for long. Until she met Chen Maidong, her crush from high school.
Chen Maidong was like any other guy. In fact, he … really was like any other guy. With a granny that worried for his singlehood and aloofness about marriage. With a job at funeral line he held a little more dearly because of his past.
He never planned for his life to be different. Until he met Zhuang Jie.
Will Love in Spring could be a typical romantic contemporary story. What made it stood out and great was firstly, perfect casting choice.
Zhou Yu Tong and Li Xian chemistry as the main leads are on fire! How I love watching romance between adults. Their pull and push. Their fights and getting back together. Their kiss scenes. Purfect!
The supporting characters were great too. Each of them have their personalities which made them memorable and relatable. They aren’t only tools who push the plot forward. Their interactions with the leads and each other give more color and warmth to WLiS and the Nanping town.
First mention is Granny Chen’s and Granny Lin’s friendship - how lovely, being decades of friends. I love the depiction of their friendship which shows from this quote -
“以前是小手拉小手, 一转眼就是老手拉老手.
Last time, we held each other’s small hands, in a blink of an eye, we now hold each other’s old hands.”
The younger representation of equally great friendships were ZJ’s mum / Aunty Wu’s, and of course, ZJ and Wang Xi Xia.
The next mention is the sibling‘s relationship between ZJ, Zhuang Yan and He Niao Niao is another love. This is the kind of siblings we all wish to have. It’s a testament to how successful ZJ’s mum was in bringing them up. I love love their family scenes. Even when ZJ’s mum were scolding and had a more traditional mindset, this is a heartwarming family.
Similarly, Granny Chen and CMD family dynamics is lovely to watch too.
Special mention of Cui Ge and Jisan Goose. They added a lot of humour to WLiS.
With an ensemble like this , everyone one of them made facing all the heavy topics like separations, deaths, long distance relationships, disability, conflicting wants and adulting easier. How lovely and heartwarming.
Next, let’s dive deeper about the main leads love story.
Real and adult are 2 words come to mind.
I seen a lot of comments critiquing ZJ for shamelessly flirting CMD when she didn’t plan to stay long. I judged too - but then again, it’s the kind of judgment that holds a little envy. I envy her boldness of to speak her mind and enjoy the moment. I admire her quick wittedness and willingness to apologise first.
How charming, how attractive and how believable that CMD sunk.
It’s not a bed of roses after they confirmed their feelings for each other. Even when they made blunders and fight, I was satisfied with their resolution.
Some could name ZJ’s and CMD’s relationship toxic. I feel this is how real relationships are like. We stumble. We say things we don’t mean. So long we learn to apologise and we don’t repeat, I think it’s fine.
…well I guess the problem is sometimes we don’t. Thank goodness our leads do in WLiS.
Lastly, funeral makeup artist is no longer an unusual onscreen occupation. With this onscreen job, death is brought up every other episode. If not done well, the empathy for characters who passed away in the story and messages about appreciating life could feel empty and overtly cheesy.
For WLiS, I felt the balance was appropriate. They successfully made me care for the characters, hence, receptive with the subsequent messages that come with each death case that CMD had to handle.
This particular chat he had with someone contemplating suicide touched my heart somewhere. And I hope it reaches you too.
~~~~
“Everyone has times when they are tired of life. The reasons may vary, but the pain will feel the same.
Some family members want to use special coffins, unique urns or expensive headstones to prove the deceased was special.
However, these are all illusions.
Once we die, everyone is the same.
We can only prove how special we are by living well.” Chen Maidong
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IT'S ABOUT LOVE ,NOT JUST A ROMANTIC ONE BUT SELF LOVE, FAMILY LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP.
It might not be drama that everyone prefers . But we, people in general avoid the real life when in seek for dramas or books mostly so that might be a reason why many people would avoid this drama. It shows real life problems , talks about death , about family values, about bad or good friendships , there wasn't any villain or totally negative character in this drama as it seeks the real life and real people more. Even though there were some ppl with not so of a positive approach, their circumstance and reasons for being that way was portrayedVond je deze recentie nuttig?
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Worth It
At first I was skeptical but after seeing the trailer and try on the first two episode, it actually was very good. From acting, story, and most important was the romance. Love the slow burn romance and 21 episode they make it really good. For those who really like slow romance, enjoyable drama try this give it a couple episode.Vond je deze recentie nuttig?
Refeshing storyline, great acting and chemistry
It's great. Refeshing storyline, great acting and chemistry by beautiful people, great scenaries and cinematography. You should watch it for all the things I mentioned. Only thing that is lacking for me is the OST, i just think the songs are not very suited for the drama.The kissing scenes are wild and will make your heart flutter.
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A true masterpiece with a few minor flaws
This drama imo is kinda suitable for mature audiences because of the problems, the stories, and even the characters all have mature themes, yet the pair shows a wonderful relationship and the story is alive because of their love.It's not your average romance drama, but a deep one with so many ups and downs.
Story:
The story is exactly about childhood classmates who happened to be each other's first love too, but due to drama and mishaps in their lives, they never had to chance to feel the love. They grow up and fate brings them back together but they both have a very heavy baggage on their shoulders and love is not easy for them. we get to see the culture, the townspeople's stories, and also how a mature love survives despite the hardships.
Acting:
The ML and FL deliver wonderful acting. there are some minor characters that are annoying and at some point the misunderstandings get out of hand, but that's how real life is. it's not always full of butterflies and happy moments. There are so no super cringe characters( except for the mom and grandma that actually come to their senses in the middle of the drama)
Chemistry:
LX and ZYT have one of the best chemistries i have seen in Cdramas. They are a natural together and honestly, i craved for more each episode. They show how a mature couple can be intimate and romantic and this was greatly done in this drama. we get to see so many Kiss scenes and intimate scenes without the interruption of censorship( which was new kinda lol). so don't miss this!
OST:
I really like the variety of songs used in this drama. even the background music wa soothing and matched the mood of this drama.
Production:
This drama is mainly set in an old and small town with not-so-glamourosus buildings but it shows life and real people's lives which matches the story quite well. there minor scenes shot in shanghai too but this drama is not about big city and its chronicles.
Overall, one of the best romantic Cdramas of the 2024 is this one and i highly recommend this to romance lovers.
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Well written, exceptional acting and aesthetically pleasing
If you're looking for cliche childish and stupid romcom this isn't for you and please don't bother dropping your 2 cents here coz you're not qualified to do so.First off the cinematography is top notch felt like I'm watching a movie with solid backing.
The casting is great and these actors' work is really admirable not just the leads but also the supporting cast.
The soundtrack is also pleasing and apt.
It's well paced there seems some cuts but overall nothing too hasty or too slow so it keeps you hooked.
One thing I prolly complain would be the abrupt endings at each episode but dat would prolly because it's meant to be binged?
It's just 5 EPs now but from what I've seen I'm giving it an A+
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A beautiful, touching, heartfelt drama delving into human relationships, life, death, and humanity
I was expecting a nice fun romance but was blown away by the depth of this drama. After finishing it today, I thoroughly enjoyed this high quality, wonderfully acted, beautifully directed drama. The characters are rich and relatable. The issues they face and how they they react are realistic and relatable as well. The crew did a fabulous job juxtaposing the beautiful natural backdrop of the main characters’ hometown vs, the beautiful modern skyline of Shanghai. Not only did the drama capture the scenery but also the feel, community, culture, and customs of their hometown.I love how this drama takes the time and care to portray the various relationships and struggles of many characters. We can see the beautiful decades long bestie friendship between grandma and Ms Lin and how they grapple with the imminent reality that all of us will one day face. We see the push and pull between mom and kids who clearly love each other but struggle with their roles and expectations of each other. We see the siblings teasing each other but care and support each other like how loving siblings do. And of course, we see romantic love blossoming or bursting - with all the emotions that comes along when two individuals, each with their own set of baggage, learn how to work it out. So beautiful.
This leads me to the main focus of this drama, the romantic relationship between the main leads. Wow! Kudos to the actors on their superb acting. They were on fire! I love romantic comedies but I love rich deep interesting romantic comedies more. It was very rewarding to ride along with this couple’s journey, seeing them grow individually and towards each other, see them opening up and allowing their vulnerability to be exposed. And super enjoyable to see the fireworks between them.
I hope you give it a shot and enjoy it!
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Absolutely loved this...
I haven't read the book, yet this drama clearly indicates that if you pick a good book and follow it to it's minute details, you end up with a classic drama. As compared to the screenplays that are hashing out clichéd crap just to meet deadlines and make a quick buck,This drama takes the c industry to the next level. It's absolute poetry, smooth, delicate, yet hard core feminist.
Sometimes feminist dramas trample on males, but here it is a sheer sense of admiration and respect for the ML.
And add to that the sizzling chemistry, heart fluttering relationship, beautiful landscapes, wonderful supporting cast.......
This drama is a gem.......
I had stopped watching c dramas because it was embarrassing to watch female leads speak like a baby, act like a teenager and wear crotch revealing outfits.
But wow.....the last 4-5 c dramas have beaten the so-called popular k dramas of 2023-24.
Way to go.......congratulations to the full team!!
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