THE SHORT VERDICT:

A love story that’s simple, earnest and very wholesome, set against the really interesting backdrop of the Cultural Revolution.

Both Sun Qian and Arthur Chen became their characters for me, making both leads extremely likable; it was very easy to root for their love.

Our supporting characters are also well-drawn as a general rule, and together, they make this story world come alive.

Big props too, to Show, for making this unique setting pop in a way that made me feel like I was a fly on the wall of this particular period in China’s history – without making it feel heavy.

THE LONG VERDICT:

If you’re feeling uncertain about this one because of the time period it’s set in, I’m here to tell you that I had similar concerns going into this one – and I’m happy to report that any fears I’d had, turned out to be unwarranted.

The time period in which our story happens might be harsh and difficult, but our story beats and the forming of our key relationships all feel very personal and approachable.

I love the idea that true warmth and affection can grow even in the midst of a harsh environment, and if I had to distill it, I’d say that this show feels like an amalgamation of elements from several shows, namely Crash Landing on You, Twelve Letters and Reply 1988 (reviews here, here and here).

The North Korean ajummas and their everyday warmth; nostalgia in a vividly created period setting; meaningful, human connection even in a harsh environment.

This is the essence of what I love about this show. 🥰

A NOTE ON THIS REVIEW

This review is a curated, condensed retrospective of my experience watching the show.

If you’d like to experience the drama alongside me, episode by episode, you might enjoy checking out my episode notes on Patreon here. They capture my unfolding reactions as the story develops – it’ll feel like we watched this show together. 🥰

If memberships aren’t your thing, individual episode note sets are available for purchase too. ❤️

OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Here’s the OST album in case you’d like to listen to it while you read the review.

Overall, I enjoyed the music in this show very well. It’s a small collection of songs, which feels fitting for our story world where our characters often don’t have a lot in the way of material wealth.

I also felt that the simple tunes felt very suited to the times, and I thought the lyrics were meaningful too.

My favorite one is Track 2, Reality, which I found breezy and sweet. Here it is on its own as well, in case you’d prefer to listen to it on repeat. Just right-click on the video and select “Loop.”

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

The main thing that I feel I should tell you, to help you maximize your chances of enjoying your watch, is:

Think warm, earthy slice-of-life

There are some big events in our story world too, but by and large, Show is more slice-of-life in flavor.

When anything bad happens to our characters, they tend to blow over quite quickly, as our characters process said events and adjust to a new equilibrium.

Being able to walk through things with our characters, both big and small, is the main joy of this watch.

STUFF I LIKED

The way Show is educational

Personally, I found it very educational to learn more about China in the 1970s, and what life was like for the average person during the Cultural Revolution.

From bigger concepts like re-education and loyalty to the state, to the more granular effects on individuals and families, we see this all play out vividly on our screens.

From housing allocation, to job assignments, to the way marriage itself becomes a gateway to resources, all the way down to things like television coupons (which, I have to say, I genuinely did not realize were a thing!), it was all so interesting and novel to me.

I found this very illuminating and thought-provoking, all on its own.

The way Show is accessible

Coming into this watch, I’d imagined that a drama set during the Cultural Revolution might be difficult to get into, due to my own lack of knowledge of the era, but that was not the case at all.

Sure, I did have to look up some things – like what re-education was, and why families were split up – but that didn’t detract from my watch.

In fact, I felt that it deepened my appreciation for these characters and what they were going through, on my screen. 🥹

The way Show builds context

Show has a knack for building solid context, so that later narrative developments feel more like a natural matter of course, rather than something that the writers are forcing, in order to achieve certain desired outcomes.

I liked this very much, because it really created this sense that I was watching real people reacting to real circumstances in their lives and making decisions that I felt I could understand and empathize with.

[BROAD SPOILER]

For example, I thought that the way Show unpacks all the events in Fei Ni’s (Sun Qian) world was very effective.

By the time she suggests a contract marriage to Fang Mu Yang (Arthur Chen), it feels like a convincingly natural conclusion rather than a narrative device that the writers are shoving in there.

[END SPOILER]

STUFF THAT WAS OK

A specific dropped detail [SPOILERS]

There is one specific dropped detail in our story that I felt that Show should have addressed, and that is Fei Ni’s stated earlier plan to give her job to Fei Ting (Shi Yun Peng).

Given how clearly that plan had been established — and how closely tied it was to her sense of debt towards her brother, I did find it a little odd that Show doesn’t explicitly revisit or address it upon Fei Ting’s return.

I can see that her circumstances have changed by this point, and that she is now part of a shared household with Mu Yang, which naturally complicates things.

However, I do feel like the narrative would have benefited from a brief moment of acknowledgment, just to bridge that shift more cleanly.

As it stands, it feels like a thread that’s quietly set aside rather than consciously resolved.

The writing around the secondary OTP

I found the setting up of this loveline quite uneven, to be honest.

It seemed to me that this loveline was treated with shorthand, in its beginning stages?

What I mean is, I felt like I couldn’t really understand each of these characters and their thinking or feelings towards each other, particularly leading up to and in the early days of their marriage.

It works in concept, especially with the idea of “pragmatic love” that’s emphasized in our story, but emotionally, it didn’t land for me.

Happily, the writing around this relationship does become more detailed in the later part of our story, and I ended up appreciating this loveline as well.

SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTERS / RELATIONSHIPS

Sun Qian as Fei Ni

This was my introduction to Sun Qian, and what a lovely introduction that turned out to be!

I really felt that she melted into the character of Fei Ni; from her facial expressions, her manner of speaking, to the general way she carried herself, I completely believed that she was Fei Ni, a girl living in the 1970s in China, trying to find her place in the world. 🥲

The fact that I also found her so likable that I just instinctively wanted to root for her in everything she did, was icing on the cake.

Really nicely done. 🤩

Arthur Chen as Fang Mu Yang

You guys. I am so happy to say that I really, really enjoyed Arthur Chen in this.

For context, I’d only ever seen him in a couple of things – “Lighter and Princess” and “Eat Run Love” – and I’d struggled to enjoy his acting in both shows (both of which I did not finish watching).

What a pleasant surprise, to find him so enjoyable in this role!

I honestly love the fact that Arthur Chen is not a polished pretty boy in this show. Instead, Mu Yang’s the opposite of polished, and y’know, I think this more rough and rugged look becomes Arthur Chen very well.

Instead of looking like he’s just walked out of a magazine spread, he looks like he’s just.. trying to live life, as Mu Yang, and I like that.

I found his character, Mu Yang, endearing pretty much right away, with the positive, contented, good-natured vibe that we see on him, even though he’s clearly been through a lot, and doesn’t have very much, and rooted for him all the way to the end.

Fei Ni and Mu Yang

Gosh, I loved this OTP relationship so much, you guys.

In keeping with Show’s slice-of-life feel, this OTP relationship stays on the low-key, everyday side of things – but that’s also why it works so well, to me.

I love all the little beats where we see these two people coming to understand each other better, and learning to live together and support each other, in big things and small.

I felt like I was watching the feelings between them snowball into something really large and substantial, snowflake by snowflake.

And so, by the time we get to the point where they are clearly deeply in love, it all feels earned, real and substantial – and truly lovely and beautiful. 🥰🥲

Here are some of my favorite OTP beats from the show.

If you’d like to experience the full journey alongside me, episode by episode — with plenty more OTP goodness like this — you can find my episode notes on Patreon here.

(Prefer not to join as a member? Individual episode note sets are available for purchase too. ❤️)

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-4. I found it very cute to see how Fei Ni patiently teaches Mu Yang all the basic things, from how to brush his teeth, to how to tie his shoelaces, and how to cut his nails.

He’s like a big child, in that way, and I find it amusing and endearing at the same time.

I also thought it was ruefully cute, the way Fei Ni keeps handing Mu Yang raw carrots to munch on, because the doctor had said that carrots might help with his recovery.

Every time Mu Yang fails to remember something, Fei Ni hands him a carrot, and he munches obediently – this running gag just got funnier to me, the longer it went on. 😁

The most endearing thing of all, I feel, is the way Mu Yang gloms onto Fei Ni like a baby duckling.

Like, he won’t accept that his sister, Mu Jing, is someone he knows, but he would cheerfully get down from the window sill and cooperate with Fei Ni; she’s the only person who seems to matter in his world.

Isn’t that so wholesome and endearing?? 🥹

E5-8. Honestly, when I saw Mu Yang joining that training program and then applying for a unit at the Educated Youth Office, I’d imagined that it was because he wanted to offer to marry Fei Ni, but it’s only later that we learn his true intention: he’d planned to let Fei Ni live in his unit, while he camped out at the office.

Awww! That is so selfless and giving, isn’t it? 🥹

And it’s so like Fei Ni too, to reject his offer right away, because she feels that it’s not right for her to take this from him, particularly since, in earning it, he’d risked his life.

That is very wholesome and watching this interaction, I realized that I just really like watching our OTP together, even when things aren’t romantic. 🥰

E9-12. I love that we regularly see Mu Yang thinking from Fei Ni’s perspective, like the way he prepares that wooden rod for her – because he knows that she feels awkward and uncomfortable being alone with him in the room.

And just look at the way he unhesitatingly signs the contract that Fei Ni presents him with, no negotiations needed.

There are so many indications that he’s just.. fully content, to be her husband, and I do love that. 🥰

I also find it very endearing that he’s quick to tell Fei Ni, all disarmingly cheerful, that he’ll listen to her in all things.

How could I not root for him to win Fei Ni’s heart, yes? 🥲

E9-12. When Fei Ni realizes that helping Fei Ting secure that job depends on obtaining a television and therefore a television coupon, what I really like is how she brings the problem to Mu Yang.

When she asks if she can borrow the money his sister left him, I love that he agrees immediately, without hesitation, without needing to know why.

It’s only afterwards that he asks if something has happened, which means that his question comes not from a place of reluctance, but of concern. 🥲

Then, once he understands the situation, I like that Mu Yang doesn’t just think in terms of the coupon itself, but starts working out how to get an actual television.

This is how he ends up meeting that man at the secondhand marketplace, with all the scattered parts, and deciding to try to build a TV.

I appreciate that Show doesn’t make this easy, because it isn’t — it’s long hours, fiddly work, a lot of uncertainty, and at every point there is the possibility that it might not come together.

Through all of this, I appreciate that the reason Mu Yang doesn’t tell Fei Ni, is not because he doesn’t trust her, but because he doesn’t want to raise her hopes until he’s sure it will work.

Which makes that moment with the record player feel even more meaningful, I feel.

When he first brings it home, she immediately assumes that he’s bought it and starts protesting that he shouldn’t be spending money like that, and it’s only after he gently reassures her that he didn’t buy it, but only borrowed it, that she’s able to relax and actually sit down to listen.

I love how Fei Ni then loses herself in the music, and how Mu Yang gets so much satisfaction from bringing her that joy. 🥰

The fact that Fei Ni asks to listen to it again even after hearing it three times, says so much about how much she’s enjoying it, and the way Mu Yang promises to bring her another record just reinforces how much he loves making her happy. 🥲

Isn’t that just so tender and sweet, in the most understated sort of way? 🥰

Afterwards, when Fei Ni eventually grows suspicious, follows him, and discovers what he’s been doing, I really like that the reveal doesn’t turn into conflict, because it so easily could have.

Instead, once she understands the effort he’s been putting in, her instinct is simply to step in and support him, offering to help however she can, so that what began as his quiet attempt to solve her problem becomes something they are doing together. 🥰

E17-20. I love that scene where Mu Yang gives Fei Ni the gift of the notebook that he’d made.

First, I love that he’s taken the torn pieces of her drawings and painstakingly pasted them back together, but more than that, I love the fact that he’s drawn her wearing each piece, as if to bring those designs to life in whatever way he can.

He’s restoring the thing that she’d made, and finding a way to bring it to life for her, even though they can’t make the designs into actual garments.

Augh. That is such a thoughtful, tender thing to do.

I love this, and I love it even more, because we see Fei Ni mirror this loving gesture later in these episodes, when she turns Mu Yang’s discarded drawings into that moving lantern.

Like Mu Yang had done for her, she picks up the pieces of something that mattered to him, and that didn’t get to become what it was meant to be, and finds a way to make it whole; to bring it to life in a different form, for Mu Yang.

Isn’t that just meaningful and lovely? 🥹

And what I find especially moving is that she then articulates what this means.

She tells him that if there is anything that he is unhappy about, anything that he is struggling with, she wants him to tell her, even if she might not be able to help much, because one of the things she has learned from him is that when two people share a burden, it becomes lighter.

And then she adds, very endearingly, that even though her shoulders are not as broad as his, they are still very sturdy — and she invites him to test it.

When he actually lays his head on her shoulder, it feels like such a simple gesture, but also such a clear acceptance of what she’s offering: not just comfort, but partnership.

It’s moments like these that really convince me, more than ever, that these two are made for each other. 🥲

E17-20. I do think that, left to their own devices, Fei Ni and Mu Yang would have likely naturally evolved into a real couple over time.

However, I don’t mind at all, that Fei Ni’s parents discover their marriage contract, because that forces a conscious reckoning that we might not have gotten otherwise.

What stands out to me during the confrontation scene, is how Fei Ni moves toward honesty almost immediately, and admits that while she had married Mu Yang for practical reasons, she now genuinely likes him.

It’s too bad for Fei Ni that no one believes her in the moment, because of the big marriage lie that’s already gone before.

..Which is how we get that Big Confession scene the next day, where Mu Yang shows everyone his drawings of Fei Ni, and shares that he’s always loved Fei Ni.

It’s all very sincere and persuasive, but what gets me more, is Fei Ni’s response.

I find it touching, the way she talks about how she’s learned from Mu Yang, that a burden is lighter when carried by two people, that it is important not just to focus on distant goals but to also appreciate what is in front of you.

I love that she’s cognizant of how he’s shaped her outlook on life.

The moment that hits me in the heart most of all, though, is the way her voice squeezes into a squeak, as she says that she’d always thought that she was unfortunate, but now, she realizes that she had been saving all her good fortune so that she could meet him.

Augh. That’s such a lovely sentiment, isn’t it? 🥹

On a technical note, I really like the way the scene is framed visually as well — the two of them on opposite sides, the family members in between, and then the camera shifts so that a dividing wall blocks the family from view, leaving just the two of them looking at each other across the room.

It effectively feels like everything else falls away in that moment, which, I thought was a really nice touch.

Afterwards, I really like that Show gives our OTP a chance to clarify their feelings for each other, since this confession had been framed as a “solution.”

When Fei Ni starts bringing up that he had drawn Nurse Zhao too (ie, he hadn’t drawn only her as he’d said), I like that he addresses the heart of the situation right away, by taking her by the shoulders, and telling her plainly, “I like you.”

And then he makes his proper confession — that he has liked her from the moment he first saw her, that from middle school all the way to the North and back to Jiangcheng, he has only ever had her in his heart.

Awww. That’s exactly what she’d needed to hear. 🥲

I love that in response, she tells him that she’d meant everything she’d said earlier too; that she likes him too.

More accurately, she says, “Fang Mu Yang, I just like you.”

How perfect, that this is the moment they officially seal their relationship with a kiss; tender, tentative and 100% sincere. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Mu Jing and Qu Hua

I have to say that this even though this loveline started off pretty unevenly for me, it really grew on me by the final stretch.

In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that in some ways, I was even more taken by Qu Hua’s love for Mu Jing (Cristy Guo and Wang Tian Chen) during the finale, than I was with the our OTP relationship.

That’s a very big turnaround indeed, yes?

Here are a few highlights of this couple, from my watch.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E17-20. I have to say that even though I still find Mu Jing and Qu Hua’s relationship somewhat opaque in certain ways, I’m realizing that I rather enjoy their loveline now.

To be clear, there’s still that lingering question in my mind about Qu Hua’s feelings — how they came about, what exactly it is that he sees in Mu Jing — because Show hasn’t really laid that out in a clear, step-by-step way.

However, in these episodes, I find that I’m becoming quite fond of the way they relate to each other in practice.

Because if Fei Ni and Mu Yang express love through easy mutuality, then Mu Jing and Qu Hua express it through something that feels a lot more… indirect, but no less intentional.

What stands out to me most, is how consistently Qu Hua responds to Mu Jing with care, even when she doesn’t necessarily meet him halfway.

When she writes to him suggesting a divorce, out of frustration and misunderstanding, he doesn’t respond by arguing the point or pushing back on the idea of separation.

Instead, he sends her a care package, with canned food, sweets, and a sweater in her favorite color.

In his note, he doesn’t address the divorce at all, and simply tells her what each item is for — the sweets to share, the canned food for her, the sweater so she can keep warm.

When she calls him and asks why he didn’t reply, and he says, “But I did reply,” it dawns on her that this care package IS his answer; that he’s responding to her lashing out with quiet, steady care.

That’s a pretty profound expression of patience, loyalty, love, and acceptance, and I do think that it lands in a way that words probably couldn’t have.

The way Mu Jing then moves to respond in kind, makes me feel that she’s received Qu Hua’s message loud and clear — and rather likes it. 😁

I love that she learns to knit, just so that she can send him a handmade sweater in return.

Isn’t it so dorky and adorable, that he puts it on right away, never mind that the weather’s too warm for sweaters, and it makes him sweat buckets? 🤭

I find myself quite charmed by this entire exchange, because in their own slightly awkward, roundabout way, these two weirdos are figuring out how to meet each other, and communicate care in a way that lands.

I also really like how this thread of communicating care continues with the way he shows up for her in person.

There’s that earlier beat where he goes to Jiangcheng to see her, and when she opens the door and says that she thought he was going home for the new year, he simply says that he IS home.

Augh. That’s such a casually meaningful line, isn’t it? 🥲

And then later, when he transfers to Jiangcheng, I find it kind of perfect that he makes that decision without discussing it with her first, exactly as she had done.

It’s very much in the rhythm of how these two operate — making big, life-altering decisions independently, and then just… showing up.

This time, however, instead of creating distance, the life-altering decision ends up bringing them closer.

[END SPOILER]

Fei Ting and Lin Mei

Although the relationship between Fei Ting and Lin Mei (Shi Yun Peng and Guo Wei Jie) is a more secondary one, I also enjoyed their story very much.

[SPOILER ALERT]

I really liked how earnest Fei Ting is, in the way he approaches his relationship with Lin Mei.

Even when her parents are fussy, disdainful or unreasonable, he never allows it to discourage him, and just keeps working to gain their approval for their marriage.

He’s so genuinely committed to building a life with her, and I found that very sweet.

And I liked, too, how Lin Mei was so committed to Fei Ting in her own way, refusing to go on blind dates during the entire period he was in the North, because she was determined to wait for him. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

E25-29. This was a really strong finish, you guys. 🥰

All through its run, Show had served up a really good range of feels – and I’m so pleasantly surprised to report that the finale takes those already solid feels and manages to amp it up to new heights.

Really well-played, Show. 👏🏻

Before I get to our main characters, I just wanted to say that the way Show basically punishes each antagonistic side character honestly feels quite fairytale-like, and that fairytale sensibility, applied in this down-to-earth setting, amuses me for its slight incongruity. 😁

As for our main characters, I thought the angst around Mu Jing and her mother’s relationship was well done, in that the emotional pain felt realistic, but wasn’t dragged out for too long, before mother and daughter tearfully reconcile.

And I honestly melted into a puddle in these episodes, at the nature of Qu Hua’s love for Mu Jing.

I’m utterly blown away by how unconditional and patient his love is for Mu Jing, who is not always easy to love.

When she gets that opportunity to study in Germany, he doesn’t try to stop her; instead, he actively encourages her to go – because the Mu Jing whom he loves is the kind of person who wouldn’t miss such a chance.

In that moment, even as he says that it’s a pity that he’d declined a posting to Germany because he couldn’t bear to leave her behind, he doesn’t even get upset, but simply comforts Mu Jing that they were both just being their true selves.

Isn’t that just the most sweetly loving attitude??

Yes, I also love that he goes back and requests the Germany posting again, so that he can be with Mu Jing, but mainly, I’m just swooning over here at how deep and unconditional his love is, for Mu Jing.

It’s beautiful. 🥹

As for our OTP, they continue to honor and support each other, and I just love how down-to-earth and wholesome it is.

Out of the various scenes that we get of our OTP, the one that sticks in my mind, is when Mu Yang gets to take home some ice cream from work, and races right over to Fei Ni to share it.

When he deflates that it’s melted, it’s so wholesome, the way she assures him that it’s fine, and happily drinks the liquid ice cream.

That visual, of them excitedly drinking melted ice cream from that little metal tin, and smiling at each other, while wiping off stray traces of ice cream from each other’s faces, just makes me so happy.

They are so content with this small happiness, and I find that lovely and inspiring. 🥲

When Fei Ni gets the news that the factory has to postpone her university nomination, I found it so poignant, the way she cries in Mu Yang’s arms. It all feels so raw and honest, and the way he simply holds her without saying anything, says everything about how he understands. 🥲

And then, when Fei Ni gets the news that the university entrance exam is being reinstated, Mu Yang’s joy is as great as hers, and that’s really lovely to witness.

Afterwards, I love that Mu Yang decides to take the exam with her – not because he has a strong dream to go to university, but because going to university would allow him to share the experience with her.

Aw. That is a really sweet sentiment indeed, and I love that they both get their admission letters, as their families celebrate with them.

I love that as we leave Mu Yang and Fei Ni, we get to see them walking into Jiangcheng University side by side, ready to embark on a new chapter of their lives.

What a journey they’ve taken to get here, and what a journey I’m sure they’ll continue to have – together. 🥲🥰

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Sweet, wholesome and thoroughly enjoyable.

FINAL GRADE: B++

TRAILER:

MV:

THE EPISODE-BY-EPISODE EXPERIENCE

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