Remembrance of Things Past (2021)

Best modern cdrama to date

Simply a beautiful drama. It probably isn't the best beginner drama to watch, as much of the content requires having a decent understanding of Chinese culture/slang to truly enjoy at its full value. However, besides that, it's a perfect show from start to finish. Easily my favorite of 2021. PLEASE DON'T MISS THIS.

Plot:
The 1st episode was jaw-dropping. Stunningly real and heart-wrenching. The characters struggle so realistically as ordinary people in the huge, overwhelming city of Beijing. Seriously, the first 2 episodes are guaranteed to capture your attention. The small details in each human interaction feel so genuine and natural, not at all like the popular idol cdramas. As the episodes progress, they do so logically without losing any sort of tension or excitement. Although it's a slice of life drama, the characters' backstories, problems, relationships, and small victories leave you wanting more and more. Every characters' own plotline and development tie together so well. ALSO, EPISODE 10 and 11 are INCREDIBLE. Don't worry! The ending is absolutely amazing, though I do think the 1st episode is hard to beat.
Characters:
The "main" character is Qiao Xichen. played outstandingly by Zhou Yutong. She is driven, intelligent, and hardworking, but faces the everyday problems of a white-collar worker in Beijing. What makes her so compelling, though? She makes any of the audience watching her want her to succeed. We want her to win because she's so caring, capable, and good-natured. She's incredibly tough, but she has breakdowns like anyone else. And wow, I was blown away by her crying scenes. I could keep rambling but I'll stop here.
Next is Xu Yan, a girl who's a bit vain and superficial, but in reality just wants to spend her days being loved by her doting boyfriend. She spends a lot of money, and it can be really irresponsible at times. The actress who plays her, Sun Qian, does a great job of presenting this bubbly character, and she goes through some deeply compelling character development. She's not a crazy hard worker like Qiao Xichen, but she has her own earnest motivations.
Being the human sunshine of the group, Hu Jing Jing is the one everyone spills their troubles to. She's the one that holds the group together. Underneath all of that selflessness, though, is someone broken and struggling. I won't say too much, because she's a huge spoiler-y part of the story, but her character is very complex and overall just heart-breaking.
Hu Nan Jia is the big sister of the group, being Jing Jing's older cousin. She's basically the richest of the girls, directing her own company and finding success in her Beijing career. Of course, there is more. She's lonely and has a loss of purpose in her personal life. She goes through a journey of self-discovery beyond the workplace. Her actress, Ren Suxi, is absolutely amazing at portraying her character so natural and believable.
Relationships:
It might surprise you, but the romance in this drama is IMPECCABLE. They are the most realistic yet heart-warming portrayals of romance I have ever seen in a cdrama. My absolute favorite couple is Qiao Xichen and Jian Yifan. Their chemistry is so fresh to watch, and my god is it amazing to see some logic in a relationship. They're both smart and sensible; it's a DELIGHT. The confession scenes were so freaking cute (that hospital car scene omg), and their dialogue just bounces off each other so well. Healthy and HIGH CP relationship from start to end. Next, Xu Yan and her boyfriend, Shen Zichang, are a bit of a different story. They've been dating for years, yet they're still a bit immature and act like those cutsey stereotypical couples. However, it's still fun to watch, and when they're together, it's honestly so dang sweet (episode 12 tho, I CRY). As for Nan Jia, she meets a much younger guy, Ou Yang, and while I thought it was awkward at first, it got REAL sweet towards the end. I support the ship<3.
Music:
Amazing. Moving. Haunting at times, but it truly enhances the feels and acting in the show. It WILL make you cry, and I'm not exaggerating at all.
Rewatch:
I'm not one to rewatch shows, but for this one, I will a dozen more times.
Overall:
This show can be uplifting, powerful, yet brutal all at the same time. It's also surprisingly hilarious, and you will grow to love each character so much. There are so many portrayals of people you won't see in other dramas, because most of them are just regular humans, not like the artificial shells I so often see. Even the minor characters are integral, flawed, and understandable people. This drama will teach you that making a living can be really, really hard. However, you'll still be able to experience the simple sweetness of life, like in the random kind acts of others (the nameless, caring grandma makes me tear up). The show's Chinese title references how people might say, "I'm doing fine" when their parents/friends ask them how they are, even though, in reality, they're not fine at all. Some people fake that they're ok just to put others at ease, but the story tells you that it's ok to embrace difficulty. This drama truly digs deep into this concept. It says that life may not feel fine right now, it might even feel impossible, but one day, when you realize how much the world has to offer, this ordinary, troublesome life will feel more than fine.

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Masterpiece

To call this show a masterpiece is an understatement. Everything about it is top notch. The acting, the story and the execution. Just wow. Every scene has a significance like the small details, everything adds together.

Zhou yu tong, I don't know where to start with her. Her acting is mindblowing, I could feel every emotion of hers. The chem between her character and Jian yi fan is so cute, it the little things that matter.

I like the "mystery" element in here. Eveyone else did a expectiaonal job. Love the relationship between the girls. The emotions were raw.

Strongly recommended drama!!

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Must watch mature and realistic drama for those who left their hometowns for another city

10/1/2021 - 9.75 rating

At the time of this writing, the MDL rating for this drama is 8.2. How could this be so criminally low? Is it because it's not an idol drama, no good-looking cast, not a fluffy romance, not produced by a big tv network? Objectively speaking, this is an excellent drama. Subjectively speaking and on a personal level, this is a near perfect drama. Thus, I am giving it 10.0 (rounding up from 9.75). This is the first drama I give a 10. This drama needs to be talked about and recommended more.

"Remembrance of Things Past" is about the lives of four women who moved away from their small hometown for college and stayed in Beijing after graduation to make it big and have a new life. As a transplant in Beijing, life is not easy and they encounter different hardships in romance, work and just trying to survive.

I have very similar experiences as the female leads - moving away from home, relying on friends to survive in a new city, only reporting happy news to family, long commute to work because housing is cheaper when farther away, loss of a loved one, single woman walking home at night, parents sacrifice for me, etc. Aside from all this, this drama also covered peer pressure at work and at home, marriage pressure for women in their late 20s and 30s, physical and mental health concerns, suicide and attempted suicide, workplace rivalries, materialism, physical beauty, renting vs buying a house, saving money vs living life, money scams, etc.

Episode 1 hooked you right in! Not knowing why a close friend committed suicide is a central plot in the drama. Her story is told through flashbacks, but the guilt is so very present within her friends. Each episode has a theme and an epilogue that narrated by the female leads which make you really stop and think. I love these thought-provoking epilogues. The last 15 minutes of Episode 10 was the most intense for me. The series of events happening at the same time with the three female leads and their subsequent big fight were explosive, intense and heartbreaking.

Romance isn't a main focus of this drama, though each of the three female leads has their own storyline. Maybe except for the romance of Xu Yan & Zhen Zi Chang. The struggles of their relationship is the central storyline, and it's also my least favorite of the three romances. I feel that it's somewhat repetitive and I really dislike Xu Yan and the way she treats her boyfriend. I am glad there's character development, but we don't see a better version of her until the very end. I wish there's more to Xu Yan storyline than about money and her boyfriend. I enjoy the shyness of Jian Yi Fan when he's somewhat courting Qian Xi Chen. I am a sucker for a quiet man who shows love through quiet actions. He seems like a different person when he's so shy and reserved, yet he's such a boss at work (calm and mature). I quite enjoy the banter between Xi Chen and Yi Fan, and they make a cute couple. Ji Nan Jia & Ou Yang's relationship is the sweetest. I love LOVE what Ou Yang said to Nan Jia about having children and raising children in a loving family. How could you not want to have a child with him after that? Ou Yang appears immature, but he's actually quite the opposite. The talk that Nan Jian had with Ou Yang's mother is also excellent. Those two don't seem like a good fit together, but they actually complement each other very well.

Of course, the best part of the drama is the friendship between the four women. I doubt they can survive in Beijing without each other.

Other notes: I watched this drama on YouTube and another site-that-shall-not-be-named. MangoTV YouTube videos blocked some of the music and the sound quality wasn't great. It really did affect my viewing and I couldn't really listen to the OST. The English subtitles also suck. Maybe this contributed to the lack of popularity. I wish this drama is shown on Viki, as I think the subbers would have done a much better job. I also found the accent of the actors quite hard to understand (with my conversational Mandarin skills). Maybe it's a very thick northern accent? Or I am just used to the voice actors these days, which is kind of sad but also why they have voice actors to do the dubbing.

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A show so relatable

Initially this drama was not on my watchlist for a lot of reasons... No romance being one of it lol. But it is only 12 episodes, so I decided to give episode 1 a try. AND I watched all 12 episodes in a go lol. It was sooo relatable and the pace, cinematics are just amazing. IT IS A MASTERPIECE.

The synopsis sounded so dry and not interesting... Yes, it was really slow paced... BUT I cannot believe a slow paced drama made me want to continue every episode and bawled my eyes out towards the end.

The first episode probably warned me that this is not about sweet romance with the suicide of the best friend and the overall dark cinematics. But it did not warned me that it will be so relatable and I will get hooked on it.

I am 28 this year and this is something I believed every person experience midlife crisis should watch. Talking about struggles in a big city far from home, to friendships, suicide, mental health, relationships. Basically very real life in general. After crying, I am going to think about my future lmao.

Story 100%. Acting 100%.
I only know Zhou Yu Tong but was surprised everyone else was great as well.

Everyone, do give this drama a chance. Especially if you have hit midlife crisis.
There are heavy topics on mental health and suicide.
If you need help, do reach out to someone, or even message me. We are here for you.

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Slice of life drama with tight storyline, raw emotions, and relatable moments

I decided to try this drama after hearing about its high ratings on Douban, and boy am I glad I did! I went into it not knowing anything about the plot (the one on MyDramalist really spoils quite a bit of the storyline) so I was really blown away by how it started. It pulled me right into the plot and dragged me along for the ride. I unconsciously started a binge and caught up to ten episodes in a matter of days. If you don't already know, it's about three friends who deal with the aftermath and grief of losing their best friend while going through the ups and downs of their lives in the big city of Beijing . There are focuses on several topics relevant to many of us today: romantic relationships between an older woman and a younger man, interpersonal relationships in the office workplace, and mental health. That's all I'll say to not spoil.

Moving on, I definitely have to talk about the acting of this cast. The producer really did a stellar job in casting. Everyone embodies their roles to the point. Zhou Yu Tong is amazing with the raw emotions she conveys at her work and when losing her best friend, Jing Jing. I only saw of her in another idol romance drama and that didn't impress me BUT in this drama, she is perfect. Her crying scenes get me teary-eyed. Every. Time. Her romance line with Bai Yu Fan is super duper cute and I smile every time they come on screen. Then, I have to applaud Ren Su Xi because she cracked me up multiple times and her emotional scenes were just as impactful. No wonder she's a well-known film actress. As for Sun Qian, she was good as well, though her character did get on my nerves many times (guess that means she's really embodying her character right?) Also, I can't end this without mentioning the actress who plays Hu Jing Jing. She doesn't have as much screen time as the rest of the cast cause her character passed away, but she really conveyed the emotions of Jing Jing that I felt for her. The personality of being strong even though she was having a bad day herself. I hope these actors get more recognition after this drama.

Overall, this is a drama with concise writing and plot development as things never got draggy and they split the screen time well between the three arcs. They not only show how each of the lead actresses face their work and love lives, they also slowly reveal the secrets of Jing Jing and what led up to her death. I am so glad it's a 12-episode drama and hope more works like this will be made in the future of C drama world.

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Life’s meanings come from the productive struggles we want

“Life is a never ending process of choosing and making decisions. We all think these decisions will bring us the fastest shortcut to happiness but along the way, we may miss a once in a lifetime scenery. Don't walk too far and forget why you took this path in the beginning. Don't run too fast and lose yourself among the countless intersections.”

This show starts with a heavy tone - suicide within 5 mins. Why so depressing? Where is hope?

Hope, does come though. Bits and pieces. In the subtlety of life. If we slow down enough to pay attention.

First things first, I love the story arc represented by 4 friends with different circumstances, ideals and personalities. This make for a cast where there will be someone whom we will relate more towards.

Qiao Xi Chen (QXC)
Our everyday worker who slowly grinds through the corporate ladder through experience and sincere work. The corporate road which often feels like 1 step forward, 2 steps back. But it’s the grind of life. She is headstrong and competitive - but she is a main lead we all want to root for because she represents many of us in so many ways. Zhou Yutong delivers this character wonderfully and able to draws me in. What great performance.

Jia Nan 姐 (JN)
I added a 姐 - sister - out of respect. She represents our dream and goal of future self who has made it in life, and yet, whose life still deem missing by everyone and sometimes herself because she is single. I particularly love JN’s heartfelt conversation with QXC on her arranged marriage arc. How she feels her past decisions are denied when she meets with her potential candidates. How QXC is able to share her own perspective that liberates JN.

There is also the arc that draws out her decision process in buying a house. Let me tell you here: 姐 is an earned title, and definitely a sign of respect.

Xu Yan (XY)
Our stereotypical millennial who appeals our more materialistic side. The carpe diem and que sera sera group because life’s tough, so we should just enjoy the moment. She has the shorter end of the stick, but definitely a familiar character we can relate to, whether it’s our younger selves or our friends. Her relationship ordeals with her boyfriend also slowly grow on me and I learn to empathise with them.

Hu Jing Jing (HJJ)
For someone who died within a few mins of the show, HJJ is nowhere a filler nor plot device. It’s easy to dismiss her extremity as something that will not happen to us. HJJ represents our mental health, and what could happen if we neglect them, in ourselves and our friends. She didn’t set out to suicide and is trying hard too. Until she couldn’t. So it’s important to shout for help or take a proper break, because the emotional load often feels lighter when shared.

Characters aside, their dynamics with the parents, each other and their love interests are also perfectly done. Their calls with their parents are short but poignant. Their interactions with each other and friendships are what make the foreign city feels like home. Their love interests and developments are the hope that we ladies can have the love we want too.

More importantly, Remembrance of Thing Past is a character driven show about 4 friends with relatable struggles and realistic priorities on career, life and love. This show highlights the struggles and (possible) depression of expats in a competitive city. For parents lamenting that we are the strawberry generation, a quick Google Search indicates that the youngest millennials are already 27 in 2023.

If anything, I would say the more befitting term for us, especially the middle class, would be potatoes. Under the pressure of different context and circumstances, some become French fries and mash potatoes, while others are couch potatoes, pun intended.

Jokes and analogy aside, the central theme of the story resonates a lot - especially when you are an expat in a big city.

Where are you now? Where do you want to be? Why? How will you get there?

Here’s to life and a path that’s meaningful to you. 加油哦！(Jia You oo)

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Top Acting, Moving Storyline, Girlfriend Friendship

I picked up this drama because of the reviews and I was okay watching a melodrama about three girls. The main storyline of the 3 best friends is what the main point of the show and the best part of the show. One is in her 20's, the main girl is in her early 30's and the last girl is in her mid 30's. So, each character is in a different point of their lives and this is their story of living in the big city.

I left my home to go into the city on my own and so I could understand a little of what the character's were going through. The city is this magical place that everyone talks about and everyone wants to be in, but the city can be tough, harsh and will not cater towards your demands unless you fight for it.

The beginning of the drama starts out very serious and melodramatic, I thought this was the tone of the drama, but to my surprise the drama is pretty toned down and became a slice of life kind of drama. You feel for the girls as they encounter problems and issues throughout the drama, but they also go through highs, like relationships and promotions.

I wouldn't say I liked any girl the best, maybe the main character (the one in her early 30's) because she was to me, the most level headed. She's trying to rise up in her career, but she is also trying to navigate the tragedy of what the 3 girls go through in the first episode.

I didn't like the youngest girl the most because she was very immature and annoying. At times she could be cute because of the way she looked and dressed, but I couldn't agree with how she treated her relationship with her boyfriend. It was a struggle to watch the two play, fight, breakup and makeup over and over at times.

The oldest girl had little to no interest for me because she wasn't captivating as I wanted her to be. She, to me, couldn't hold a presence on screen and so I felt like her scenes were lost to me. I also didn't like the younger relationship she was encountering, the 10 year age difference was kind of icky in my opinion.

Overall, the drama held my interest and at 12 episodes at about an hour each, it was a good decent drama to get sucked into. It makes you appreciate life, friendship and relationships. A very realistic drama about growing up and living as an adult in a big city.

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Real. Painful. Moving. Wholesome

The first 5mins may make you turn away. That cruel moment of seeing someone losing the will to live and seek death can be too much for some viewers.

Yet theres so much this drama offered beyond what I expect. For one it tackles real issues. There's JingJing who pulled a Robin Williams on all her loved ones including her 3 besties. She shouldered a lot of things and hid it so well. In a depressive state, she made a drastic choice.

The 3 remaining ladies like Jing Jing faces many struggles as North drifters, slang for people who left their hometown to go to the big city in the north trying to make a better living. During bad times, Beijing is a city so fast paced, one can feel like you are swallowed whole. Nan Jia is a strong character, a career woman with her own business. She too faced a lot of hurt in the city, faced issues with health and in love. Qiao Xi Chen who works hard, lives like a miser, struggled to be successful and wronged by backstabbers at office. Xu Yan who has a lot of insecurity and often too wrapped up in people's comments, had a lot of growing up to do in life and love.

With the ladies are 3 love interests and fortunately for us all 3 lads are good guys. That helped to balance off the sad elephant in the room. Its a story showing growth and more so in the courage and hard work the ladies put into living their life.

Wholesome are the great parents. The ones who love their children and tell them the words one need to hear. This sounds easy but is not often dobe. Sometimes parents set too high expectations or say the wrong words that can hurt their children. Xi Chen's parents words to her were so touching. Wholesome are the friendship among the ladies. Wholesome was when the 3 ladies care for JingJing's parents.

The acting is top notch. Ren Su Xi, Zhou Yu Tong and Sun Qian at different points of the drama moved me to tears. I felt their sincerity across the screen. Chinese dramas should do more lengths like this: 12episodes of moving story, poignant, meaningful and leaves us hopeful.

Parting words from JingJing: Even after the darkest of night, there'll be sunrise. Even after the longest journey, there is an end.

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Two Words:

Phenomenal Acting.

I'm here to talk about the acting. It is by far the best I've ever seen. Everything flows together and they talk like normal human beings. It is really natural. In other dramas I've watched, actors either say stuff on the script with emotion or like a statue. However, this drama literally feels like a real interaction. They are sensible and act exactly what a normal person like you or me would act like. Great acting and dialogue.

As for the plot, it's kinda like a slice of life and it really isn't heavy at all. It's a fun watch for relaxing or if you just wanna watch something short and simple. Pretty interesting and I love the chemistry between the cast. All their interactions are very natural.

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Not a Dry Eye In the House ( No spoilers - just reasons to watch

Many reviewers have described this drama as a masterpiece. It is a priceless drama that shoots to my top 3 of all time and I have been watching K dramas. Chinese dramas, Thai dramas, Japanese dramas since 2014. What makes this one that must be on your watched list is simply the storytelling and the unique way the writer has weaved a tragedy that is so common with young people today throughout the world into a treatise on cause and effect, depth of friendship, and family interactions. I found myself crying so much during the drama that I began to understand the writers were astute in layering common situations into everyone's emotional DNA. The story writer is a genius, and the screenwriter was able to take this story to the next level by making it a visual treat. My only complaint and why this must be watched and rewatched over and over again --- the English translation was not accurate (seemed to be google translation) but this does not stop the viewer from being absorbed into being a second skin or shadow for each character.

The reason to watch and rewatch -- the need to take notes and analyze the lessons being taught and the lesson learned about how we as humans respond to a variety of challenging situations and crises in our lives. Our parents, our friends, our boyfriends/girlfriends are intimately affected by all of our thoughts words, and deeds. Just living and bearing burdens to the point of being in a dead-end situation was so graphically and emotionally portrayed that there is a point that each of us has to reevaluate our own lives and the lives around us.

How much do we share with others we trust, how much do we hide that is painful, how much deception do we live in our own lives, how much do we pretend, how much do we value our partners and their aspirations and goals? These are only a few of the socially challenging questions that this drama achieved in only 12 episodes. A priceless lesson on living - you have to reflect and be introspective to really benefit from this drama.

Just watch and you will agree - a SOLID 10 -- and that is a rarity.

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Before that person became your confidant, remember, that they were your friends first.

In a variety of cliché modern Chinese dramas, there are very few that seek to tell the story of real individuals, one of them is this drama. Though not all of the events could be labeled as "realistic", most of them are. Remembrance of Things Past tries to remind us to become better humans, and to become considerate of those who are around us.

For a 12-episode drama, I admit it is quite slow-paced. It focuses on three different individuals and their daily lives. The first episode hits you like a truck, the remaining 11 weren't that engaging. Still, each episode rewards you with a valuable lesson, mainly about loving your parents, and the ups and downs of life. Plot-development-wise, I do think there are moments where the story goes off-road, focusing on things that aren't necessarily important and disregarding scenes I, as a viewer, would love to see. Admittedly, if it weren't for the shroud of mystery given to Jing Jing's character, I wouldn't be so eager to finish the series.

There is nothing special about the film, cinematography-wise, I would consider this to be one of the dramas that are "okay-ish" in terms of production. In fact, this is one of the better-quality films produced by Mango TV. A few splicing mistakes here and there, but, I believe they don't ruin the experience for the viewers. A few things could be polished as well, a few decisions I don't agree with is splicing two different sub-plots, with the intent of showing "despite having different situations they're experiencing the same issue/emotion", it just didn't sit right with me, I believe it doesn't give the viewers enough time to bask in the emotions of the characters. I can't comment much on the soundtrack, as the version I watched had such terrible audio, therefore, including it in the rating of this drama would be unfair.

Acting-wise, I had never doubted Zhou Yu Tong's acting skills, in fact, she was the main reason I watched Remembrance of Things Past. As for the other actors, I'm genuinely in love with the personality Kido Ma gave to Ou Yang. An honorable mention would be Bai Yu Fan and Ren Su Xi, they fell short in a few aspects, but nonetheless, their acting managed to deliver good characters. I believe the two of them could improve their acting, and I am looking forward to watching more of their films.

Another aspect I would love to point out is the consistency of their personalities, Jian Yi Fan was introduced as a kind character, someone who is fair and just, and tends to be reliant on his own personal decisions. As the story progresses, he remains the same person throughout, in fact, the decisions he takes and his opinions were some of the most naturally-occurring ones in Chinese Dramas. There were a lot of criticisms with regard to Xu Yan and Zi Chang's characters, but realistically speaking, don't we have a few friends who act like them? They were annoying, of course, but I believe their characters did exist for a reason, it just wasn't as well-executed as I would have wanted it to be.

What I loved most about it is that the drama heavily emphasizes no matter how small or big your problem is, it still is a problem and emotions are still valid. Overall, I would say the drama is a good watch, it is both comforting and manages to deliver a good message across. There are a lot of improvements to be made, but I believe it is something that is worth a shot, especially if you're someone who's exposed to corporate life and is struggling to cope.

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