Nothing but Thirty (2020)

Story about strong women

This drama is one of the favorites that I've watched this year (2023). I enjoy watching slice of life drama and especially one that deals with real and difficult issues. This drama is one that deals with real life issues such as infidelity, divorce, workplace and business competition. The characters feel real and the actors played them really well. The three main female characters are all strong women, but I particularly like Gu Jia. She's the strongest of them all I think.

SPOILER ALERT!
Throughout the drama you get to see character developments for the main characters. Zhong Xiao Qin started out as a dependent and rather spoiled, a people pleaser that cannot survive on her own. She always has her parents and her husband to guide her through life. But she became a strong women after the divorce and can stand up for herself. Wang Man Ni's character development is not too significant in my opinion. She is already a strong, independent woman and she's my least favorite character. Gu Jia, now she is my favorite. I love her character. She can be soft but strong at the same time. In the beginning, I thought she's just a boring upper middle income housewife with a kid and adoring husband. But as you progressed, you get to see that she's actually the one that works hard for her family and she's one that will not hesitate to give the harsh truth to the friends to get them to wake up and move on from the problems. I like her! I thought she's the one that has it all and will have the happy ending. But her life was turned upside down when a home-wrecker chased her husband. But, She handled the husband's infidelity in an elegant way. She is the strongest of them all.

I like to see the friendship between these three women. And it's also interesting to see how life in a big city like Shanghai is. The struggles that you have to endure to live in Shanghai (there's a part of the story where Man Ni returns to her hometown and there, everybody is friendly and know everybody and always ready with a helping hand, a contrast with life in Shanghai).

There is a silent family at the end of each episode that I also like. I think the main idea of this family is to show that it's simple life that brings happiness and wealth and more money comes with its problems.

I think this drama is excellent and would definitely recommend it if you like slice of life stories.

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Female Friendships for the Win

I stumbled across this drama awhile back purely by accident, and somehow got hooked into watching the whole thing.
Its a story of 3 very different ladies and their trials and triumphs in life and love, and how they support each other throughout.
Gu Jia, the Type A supermom/superwife who tries to be on-point with everything (but at what cost), Wang Manni who is a single girl trying to make it in the big city and has certain standards she wants to meet whether in wealth/income or love (but there are no free lunches, good things must be worked for), and then there is Xiao Qin who I feel contrasts nicely with her 2 pals (as far as ambitions go anyway) and is your average 'i just want a simple, quiet, happy marriage' kind of girl (but perhaps has yet to learn what goes into a happy marriage).

Story: As an over-30 female, some of the difficulties these ladies face are very relatable, as is their friendship and how they support each other and cry it out with each other. I had a little bit of trouble following Wang Manni's storyline a little, and it may be because personality and background wise, she was the most unrelatable for me. The story is very well balanced in that while most of the events perspectives will be more from the ladies' POV, you do sometimes perceive see the guys' side of things (sometimes, and sometimes maybe the male character is just simply a playboy asshole) and can sympathize with them (to a degree). These ladies are flawed, and each of them go through different hardships to grow and improve themselves--i thought it might be too confusing essentially telling the stories of 3 women but its actually very well paced and melds together well, their close friendship being the glue that holds these 3 tales together. The messaging in the drama I think is also good and are things we should be cognizant of as we go through life too: being fair to yourself in relationships, not taking others (loved ones) for granted, maintaining integrity even if it seems its the harder path

Acting: I didn't really know any of the actors prior to watching this drama, but everything from the cast was solid. Sometimes with dramas, you can tell when the acting is a bit forced and it breaks the immersion. Did not have this issue at all with this drama, the leading ladies had me laughing and crying with them. Even Xu Huan Shan--this cheating scumbag husband...there were still moments i felt for him--the major characters aren't one dimensional after all--they are flawed, sometimes very flawed but there will be some good things about them, and some of the circumstances you can still understand WHY they react a certain way even if we condemn the action. One of the scenes that stuck with me (might be because its related to personal fears) was when Xiao Qin got into a random cab/uber car and the driver started heading an unfamiliar route to a more remote area. Her tension was palpable and it was like I could also feel her terror when she jumped out of the car, hid and then tried to navigate in the dark to someplace she could get cell service to call (cry) for help. And the intense relief flooding her when she was finally found

Music: Honestly, I don't remember the music too much. I think it just went well with the drama but its not like I would find myself humming the tunes like with other dramas with especially nice soundtracks

Rewatch: Worth rewatching if in the mood for these girl friendship/slice of life/growth dramas. I've only found myself in the mood to rewatch once but it was still enjoyable.

Overall: Really liked this drama, so glad I stumbled upon it. Generally I tend to stick with period dramas and watch fewer modern ones but this one is definitely worth it. Well paced, good script/story, good acting--can't ask for more.

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Almost Perfect

This was one of the better productions I have watched in a very long time.

The writer did a very good job in telling the stories of these three women. The director managed to convey the emotions and the upheavals of life situations that we all either have experienced ourselves or have seen someone in our circle experience them. The actors did a phenomenal job bringing their characters to life. The characters, flaws and all, were so relatable that even when you wanted to hate them, you could find some shred of empathy for them and understand their actions in the wider perspective.

While I liked the three main characters, what I appreciated about all of them was that they were not perfect and the way the drama is written allows them those imperfections. The male characters too, were imperfect and their actions sometimes evoking a strong response - but they too were only human in the big scheme of things. If I had to choose a 'favorite' character of the female leads, it would be Gu Jia. Tong Yao brought Gu Jia to life and made her into every woman who has ever strived and sacrificed for her family, and who gave of herself almost too completely. She still was able to admit her own fault in the demise of her marriage, and I think that is the real gem of the writing. There were no 'perfect' people in this drama, least of all the character Xu Huan Shan, but his is the character that I had hoped could pull off a happy ending for this couple. No such luck, as his ultimate growth needed to come from his understanding that he needed to give Gu Jia her freedom to realize her dreams and ambitions. Still, I liked this couple a lot.

I promised myself I would highlight my very favorite moment in this series. Can we talk about how Gu Jia went all Mama Bear on those moms and smacked the crap out of them?! No shrinking violet, that one- not when her kid was harmed or threatened. And she wasn't intimidated by the 'other women' at all. I loved that!

Finally, that tag at the end about continuation... I'd like to know more about that. Is there a Season Two in the works? Will we know more about these women's lives and what happens to them in the future? I really hope so. It would be a fitting end to the series. If I had one fault to find with this first season, it would be that the wrap up was a little hasty for me - a lot of time was wasted on other irrelevant things and some parts of the last episode felt like they had run out of time. Also, 43 episodes was too long because there was a lot of 'fillers' in between the main story arcs which seemed to waste time. Still, I rated this drama the way I did because it really was one of the better productions I have seen, and the acting was the real reason for that.

Hoping for Season 2!!!!

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Snippets of life

I watched this straight after finishing Love Yourself which I also enjoyed. Both telling a story of women around 30 and challenges around life. I found this one more realistic and raw except Man Ni meeting the rich boyfriend, how often does that really happen?! I related to all 3 women in some way and the lifes challenges they faced in terms of marriage, relationship, family, career choices and friendship. It did not necessarily show you the joys of life, of course there are many, but life throws trials all the time and the ones in the story are relatable. All ladies played their roles well, you will cry with them, feel anger when they are wronged, warm when they give each other support. 30s is when you find your real self, grow confidence, become, brave, know your real friends, even if you dont want to and this drama portrays this well.

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Wow , just Wow

So I was just casually looking for a C-drama that did not have a whinny female lead or a weak one. Or an overly cold Male lead. Side note: I normally watch k-dramas but I find the slice of life aspect in some C-dramas just amazing.

And that was exactly what we got here. Three women at different parts of their lives which you would call okay, but the growth throughout the series. WOW, just wow. Some might not call this a happy ending, but this is realistic and does actually happen in life. Well some of it

My three ladies went through a lot of growth in their personal lives, career and most of all as themselves. It really showed that not only in Chinese society but in society in general, it showed different aspects of what women go through. Three different women all the same age but at different levels but somehow got together and grew together. They showed what friendship was about. The realistic advice, the pettiness, the mistakes. Just things we feel and do or want to do every day.

This is truly a slice of life drama and a well-done one as well. It really made me look at my life choices as I applauded them. It takes courage to give up, to fail, and to start again. And it was nice seeing that it is never too late to try. Sometimes what you thought was perfect is not always. And you can be down for a while, nothing wrong with that. but sometimes you just need to take a step back, help from friends and family in order to see where you need to go next. I feel like that as an overarching theme.

Other reviews will go a bit more in-depth, I just wanted to say how it made me feel, hope whoever watches this can also feel a similar way or have a clearer understanding o the choices and goals of these ladies.

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Wonderful female leads!

I really enjoyed watching this show and I thank those who have given good reviews about this show as they encouraged me to watch it.

Watch because:
- good-looking female leads
- feisty female leads
- great acting from the entire cast which left me very impressed
- plot moves fast enough and is realistic
- slice of life show that portrays what women from different walks of life face
- emotions portrayed come alive on the screen

I’d highly recommend this drama. It’s like watching the lives of your neighbors or the people/ women around you come alive. Watch this!

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I’d have to admit, I actually didn’t really like this drama at the start and stopped watching it for a bit but then I decided to continue and it actually became quite realistic,.

I’ll be 30 soon! and the thought of this age just doesn’t seem real to me! After I finished this drama it got me thinking about a few things:

One of the things I learnt was the friendship they developed together and literally through everything they went through were always encouraging, supporting and there for each other and something I really do hope to have in my own life as well, to be more open and to really help and be there for my own girlfriends through both the ups and down!

Also a subtitled quote that I really liked from the drama. It said; “30 years old! Time stole a bit of our youth but gave us a one of a kind experiences, a chance to experience relationships and motivation to chase our dreams... Life is most likely a one way trip. There’s no set number that can determine the speed we run at, or the moment we stop. We hope that all of us will continue with nothing but bravery!”

As social media becomes a bigger part of our lives it’s hard sometimes, not to compare and want what other people have and it makes me feel like I’m a little behind, especially when it comes to relationships, experiences or I guess adulting! But, I shouldn’t compare my own life with someone else’s life! Because that’s not my life! I should be listening and learning and being encouraged by other people’s life. We all go through this life at different stages and there’s no certain age or rush in time that you have to do this or that.

Which is why I enjoyed this drama, and how realistic the stories of these three women were. The different experiences and paths they journeyed that they learnt, helped, encouraged and supported each other.

I inspire to become a woman whose life isn’t filled with comparing to others or secluding myself and being on my own! Being grateful for friendships and the support and encouragement that we can learn from each other.

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Do not waste your time

I thought this had an interesting plot, something uplifting about being thirty and it being a good thing, but it was just depressing. It was actually quite predictable nothing that comes out at you. Maybe the music was a bit somber that made it seem to drag on. I fast forwarded a lot. I did not feel any chemistry between any of the characters not even the FL's. I remember thirty and it was one of the best times of my life in spite of bad relationships and barely making ends meat. This should have been about the joy of surviving thirty but I could not find any joy in this drama. Glad it is over. I thought "WWW" had a better take on thirty.

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Very relatable drama if you are around your 30s

I picked up this drama because I wanted a drama to which I can identify myself to. This drama did not disappoint.

One great watchpoint is that it has three different main characters you can pick and choose from - at least one of the three, or at least some elements of the three will fit your own situation. All three women, Gu Jia, Wang Man Ni, and Zhang Xiao Tong, are modern, but growing up and living in different circumstances. For myself, I can probably identify half with Zhang Xiao Tong, half with Gu Jia. Our women have to deal with events concerning their careers, love life, kids, parents, and female friendships - something that can happen to anyone. They go through various difficult and beautiful events in life, how this can grow their characters, let me realize what they want and don't want in life, and how everyone can move on and find the light at the end of the tunnel despite all kinds of a difficult situation.

I appreciate that the drama is not this "dog blooded" as some other modern Chinese dramas, making things unrealistic. I also appreciate that this drama shows a modern side of Chinese women: not someone that has to fulfill filial obedience to their parents, stay married when it is not a happy one or even find a partner at all, or stay in an office when it is not fulfilling for you. Our main leads reflect on their own behavior and learn from our experience how everyone should do when it comes to things in life.

Of course, this drama has some improvement points that can be made, such as ending episodes. A lot of developments feel a bit rushed and out of nowhere. Many netizens say that this drama has a bad tail due to some of our main leads' choices. On the other hand, I find the ending ok as everyone has different values and opinions about responding to certain situations. We should not be judgemental towards others just because they choose to act differently. How do we know whether our decisions are the right ones? Is it because our parents and society have told us so? Nothing is final "right" or "wrong." Our women in Nothing but Thirty has chosen their path, and we shall wish them well. Let's also wish ourselves well that all women find happiness in life, in one way or another.

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Beautifully written and acted drama

I love Cdramas and love the tropes and over-the-top plots, but sometimes it’s nice to come across something a little more steeped in realism, and this drama scratches that itch perfectly. Centered around a trio of friends all dealing with challenges in their professional and personal lives, the drama is entertaining without resorting to overt melodrama or descending into farce. Every challenge is easily one the audience can empathize with and, in some cases, has experienced. In particular, I really loved how they handled the issue of infidelity from the perspective of both sides and without excuses, vilifying one side, or shying away from saying the painful truth out loud. Same for the relationships in general. No one was painted a martyr or a saint. Not all breakups were because of ground shaking moments and not all reconciliations were due to one character simping their way back into good graces. Opportunities were found and lost and that loss regretted. A very human drama that touches on the complexities of life.

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"This is the story of us three. To be continued."

First time in a while that there is a decent contemporary Chinese drama that didn't lose its footing and get all draggy and boring. Even though it's a 43-episode drama, you can hardly feel it and actually want more! I love its focus on women and how it distributed screen time to develop the story line of each of our leading ladies.

Plot: The drama raises good questions and awareness about the expectations put onto women in their 30’s. It is clear that every character has their own flaws and that's what makes them realistic characters. As I watched, I slowly saw each character's personal growth, especially the three leading ladies, in their career and love life. Xiao Qin's growth was especially evident after her divorce and experience with dating a young (clingy) guy when she realized her own mistakes. I anticipated the cheating and betrayal of Xu Huan Shan since I read the synopsis, and honestly, it took longer than I wanted for Gu Jia to find out. Other than that, the plot went on at a good pace throughout the drama and wrapped up well for each character. Most of the loose ends were tied up, in my opinion.

Production: The drama had high quality production and filming that can be seen through the opening song and the nice sets and clothes. The PPL wasn't too terrible or annoying either- pretty smooth. It was just the usual like in most other Chinese dramas. The main characters are all using their own voices too (no cringey dubbing!!)

Cast: Our leading ladies did such an amazing job with their roles that I have only good things to say about them. They delivered their lines and conveyed the emotions spot on and quite naturally (in my opinion), which does not surprise me since they cast well experienced actors. I especially loved Tong Yao who played Gu Jia. She successfully embodied the heartbreak when she found out her trash of a husband cheated on her and showed the growth of her character when she overcame this hurdle. I loved her story line the most, though Man Ni and Xiao Qin's story line were pretty interesting as well.

Music: Nothing really stood out at first, but the ending OST grew on me as I heard it over and over again whenever I finished an episode. The lyrics struck pretty deep and I really like it now. As for the rest, they weren't bad but I wouldn't listen to them after I finish this drama. I did notice that the same singer sang most of the songs (all but one) so that's probably why the songs all sounded pretty similar to me.

Rewatch Value: I don't usually rewatch dramas, especially Chinese dramas (since they are so long) so I just gave it a random score. It was still a good watch for the first time around though.

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