Auntie Duohe (2009)

"All of this fighting...what's the point?"

This drama picks up at the conclusion of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Those that survived the war are trying their best to get on with their lives and hoping for a bit of normalcy to return to their lives. Anyone with even a cursory bit of knowledge in regards to China and Japan's relations, knows that their relationship was extremely tense/strained during this time period and that's probably putting it lightly. So you can imagine the scenario when a Chinese family rescues a Japanese and welcomes her into their family. Duohe and the Chinese family have both lost family members as a direct result of the war and it would be understandable if they held onto deep resentment towards one another because of that. Instead, everyone acknowledges that even though it was Japan that invaded China, innocent civilians from both countries suffered greatly because of the war. With that in mind, the involved parties, try their best to coexist peacefully with another. I liked that even though China and Japan have their own distinct cultures, customs and traditions, the drama never portrayed the differences as being bad and Duohe only needed to appear more "Chinese" in order to blend in so that other people would't find out.

Without spoiling anything, Duohe's arrival into the family and her place in the family brings its own set of baggage. Baggage that entails a lot of complex, contradicting and conflicting emotions. Her presence in the family is certainly a complicated one but over the course of the drama we gradually see their relationship and bond grow as they endure and persevere through many hardships. The overwhelming amount of understanding, empathy and compassion shown throughout this drama was really touching to me.

The acting was amazing by the entire cast but I have to single out Sun Li's performance. This was the first drama I had watched with Sun Li and she certainly made a huge impression on me solely with her eyes. When she first enters the family, Duohe's eyes look on with curiosity and horror as she sees Erhe's father hitting him, wondering why a parent would hit their own child. Later on, her eyes express great sorrow as she recounts how she lost her family members. Despite everything she has gone though, there is also kindness in her eyes. Duohe believes in the goodness of humanity because Erhe's family saves her and sees her as part of the family despite the fact that she is Japanese/not related by blood.  She also witnesses countless amount of people offering help and support even if the situation is risky or they won't receive any benefits from doing so. They do so because they are helping out a member of their community, a fellow countrymen, a fellow human being. A little bit of kindness goes a long way.

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This is a show that everyone should give a chance. This is a tear-jerking, amazingly written, heart-warming story about a Japanese woman that is saved by a Chinese family right after the war when there was a lot of hatred, fear, and distrust between the two nations. Duohe is saved miraculously from death by the Zhang family and she slowly becomes apart of their family.





FURTHER ON MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!


Duohe ends up having three kids for the son of the Zhang parents who saved her from dying. She views this as a way to pay them back because their sons wife is infertile, thanks to Japanese soldiers. This brings forth many issues as they try to keep secret after secret from their neighbors and friends, including Duohe real identity and her status as the real mother of the three children. As the story progresses this family deals with so many issues including death, betrayal, and conflicts within their family and with others.

My Opinion:
This was a show that truly touched my heart. It is one of the best shows I've seen and it truly will be one I remember. The portray by the actors was excellent,the story is fantastic, and it bought forth so many emotions and thoughts. I especially loved that this show could actually make me feel happy when the characters are happy or sad when they are sad. This also has to do with the actors excellent job as well as the writing. Sun Li was especially great as the main character. When she was happy, so was I. When she cried, so did I. She was great!

I have to say there were somethings I wish had went differently for the main character, Duohe, but I am overall satisfied with how the story came to an end.

Be warned you will need a box of tissues but it's definitely worth.

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