Meet Yourself (2023)

Probably slow enough to meet ones past self

This is a slooooooooooooooooow paced drama that will make time stop... or at least it will fell like it stops at times, and I am pretty sure that is exactly what they are aiming for a drama that is there to slow down your pace and just let you enjoy the scenery. An invite to the great outdoors.... Country living without to much drama.

Had I been the type who enjoyed healing, slooooow stuff and whatever they where doing here this would have gotten a higher score unfortunately I am more the type who gets nauseous from that stuff. So clearly I am not the target audience for this, and should probably have run away at firs live your life... breath, carpe diem...

HOWEVER!

80% of the characters in this are not only human, but are actually pretty lovable humans who make great connections, friendships and have this lovable familiar feel to them that you find yourself wanting in on whatever they have together. The elderly in this village are pure gold, and the kids are fun to watch too. There are some annoying characters who show up here and there but they are manageable/skippable.

The male lead does not force himself on the fl even once.. I do not think he even attempted a wrist grab nor did he shove her up against a wall... I guess he is a true prince on a white horse? Though she makes it clear that she can ride the horse herself. The leads are both smart, have amazing chemistry both as friends and lovers. There is this lovely playfulness to the two of them, though the process is painfully slow the two actually stay true to their characters even after they get together unlike some similar dramas (I am looking at you Hometown ch cha cha) where the leads seem to loose all brain power once they acknowledge their feelings for each other. So I love these two and am willing to say that they are one of the best main couples in all of C-dramaland.

The cinematography is gorgeous, the OST is waay to repetitive and while some of the songs are pretty decent, romantic, slow the type you would hear at a wedding. There is one song that I found myself muting for its lovely combination lullaby and traditional children's nursery song...

The way the drama approaches divorce, second chances , age gaps and facing ones fears is pretty ok, a bit preachy at times but relatively ok. I am also pretty sure that if it weren't for this being a C we would definitely have a lesbian second couple, the twos chemistry is even better than the leads chemistry.

All in all a sloooooow drama, with some good, some meeh and a whole lot of lovable characters.

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Relaxing & Healing

Did not expect to like this but wow, this drama is very healing to watch! It took me about 3 episodes to really get into the drama but after that I finished each episode very quickly. The acting and chemistry of Liu Yifei and Li Xuan were unexpectedly good and fun to watch. The villagers were funny in their own way as well. There were many moments where the villagers and others touched me, and it made me wish such supportive people could surround me. There were also many comedic moments that were not too silly to watch. However, some supporting roles story arch near the end were not as interesting as others and I had to skip to keep watching the episode. I appreciate the writers building out each character though, it made it easier to understand their actions. It was definitely a healing drama to watch overall.

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Pleasant Drama , country side, beautiful sceneries , not for binge watching, Slow drama

I gave 9.5 because the drama is very pleasant to watch, somewhat different story and it needs some appreciation. One of very few Chinese dramas i can say there is some real quality . I kind felt there much Chinese culture and kindness is there in this tv show. The story takes place in a country side and very beautiful village, looks very nice, the wooden houses and the old grannies wearing the traditional Chinese dresses, and particularly the ranch is very scenic. All the characters were very pleasant ppl, i am bored watching those tv shows with many bad ppl.

Cons:
May be bit more romance could be added, i binge watched it so sometimes i felt i t was bit slow at times,

But the all characters in the show were different and cool, like the man who serves tea and the writer, singer etc.. Wow seriously some characters and some story. I binge watched many episodes but i guess, once can watch it slow. But 40 episodes may be not needed

My opinion after watching many Chinese dramas, this is very rare good Chinese drama

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Sloooowwwww, but so pretty!

OVERALL
This drama is truly unique. As of now, I don't think there's another one quite like it. Watch it if you 1) are looking for a nice slow burn, 2) want a drama with mature vibes, 3) like slice-of-life series. Skip if 1) lowkey propaganda bothers you, 2) ensemble dramas (which focus on many different characters) bother you, 3) dramas without a plot bother you.

THE STORY
Let's be honest: there is no story here haha This drama is just about life. It does start out as a story (something happens, FL needs a break and goes to the countryside), but then it's just 40 eps of FL living in the countryside, travelling back to the city, and living some more in the countryside. As someone who is not really into slice-of-life dramas, I dropped the drama at least 10 times. But I kept going back to it every couple of months because it's SO different, and I can now say I'm really glad I pulled through.

What's good about the drama:

- Mature vibes, from ALL the characters. No childish, annoying women, no high-pitched baby voices. Real people. I LOVE it.
- FL and ML have a very refreshing relationship, the friends-to-lovers type but in which both are really self-aware. Once they get together, they're also quite playful, and they have pretty decent chemistry. I liked them a lot!
- The script is at times quite deep. Lots of topics are addressed in this drama, from burnout and work stress to mourning and loss, and many inspiring quotes are told. You can tell when a drama takes itself seriously because the writing is 10x better than average.
- The cinematography is AMAZING. Awesome scenery, great filters, nice sets. Everything is flawless in that department! It makes you yearn for country life haha
- Story-wise, the second half of the drama is MUCH better than the first. It feels faster paced, and we get more of the main leads (rather than the many side characters)
- The relationship between family members is super endearing, especially in FL's family

That being said, Meet Yourself is not going to be in my list of favorite dramas of all times for a couple of reasons:

- I prefer dramas with a plot. The first half of this drama felt SO slow. I kept falling asleep while watching, even when skipping parts. Artistically, the slow pace is meaningful (it reflects how life also feels slower in the country), but I personally do not watch a drama to see life unfold in real time. I have enough of that in real life, thank you! Give me a plot and a decent pace! Luckily, the pace picks up in the second half.
- There are too many characters with a "story" of their own, and they're not all interesting. At least, I couldn't care for most of them. It would have been better if only 2-3 of them were 3D (developed) and the rest were just 2D friends or neighbors.
- In the first half (mostly), this drama feels too much like government propaganda to lure people into the countryside (go there, there's less stress, people are nicer, and they need you). Almost every ep had the characters gathering somewhere to talk shit about the city and how their lives were miserable there, and every other ep, some characters pointing out how life is hard for the people in the country because of lack of funds/labour/etc. It kind of got old and pulled me out of the story.

I still definitely think everyone should give this drama a try. If Chinese contemporary dramas could all go in this direction (and improve it), that would be so great!

THE ACTING
Fab, fab, fab. Liu Yifei was awesome! But the rest of the cast didn't fall too much behind. Their interactions were so organic, you don't often see that in dramas!

THE MUSIC
Catchy and fitting, but only the Chinese songs. The English songs were a monstrosity! haha

REWATCH VALUE
Low. It's just too slow for me. But I'd love to rewatch some clips, especially of main couple!

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Slice of Life drama with beloved characters

Admittedly I didn't initially like the premise of this story so I came in watching with low expectations. But it was HIGHLY recommended by a friend who shares similar drama preferences so I kept an open mind.

Honestly, speaking, I LOVED it. It's everything I want in a comfort-friendship drama. In fact the romance aspect isn't put at the forefront of the story in half of the episodes.

The story had such a slow start for me because I was mainly hoping to see cute romantic scenes. But these don't pick up until around the 16th episode. And quite honestly, the first 8 episodes were basically getting to know all the other characters in the story, so just brace yourself for a slow slow start.

Although I found it slow (and dragging) I found myself starting to care more about the stories of the other characters. And I love when they flesh out the backgrounds of all the "side characters". There's enough background stories to go around. And the friendship they develop working through each of their problems made me want to have my own similar group of friends. I do love all the girls though from Damai, Nana, Xiaochun and Xinxin.

The setting is also amazing and the shots take them beautifully. If there was one takeaway from this drama, it is that their town would be such a nice place to visit on a holiday.

The OST was also quite fitting, including more slow, calm, nostalgic songs.

The romance was actually quite mature. Slow to develop but between two emotionally mature adults who knows how to work through their conflicts together. It's somehow healing to watch versus most other romcoms that show intense arguments and conflicts before the happy ending.


Overall, very nice comforting watch. I like the idea of it, but I don't think I'll find myself rewatching it anytime soon.

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Healing indeed

Very insightful take on the lives of people taken over by their work.

I didnt have any expectation at first. I just thought at first oh! The male lead is very cute.

But i like the pacing of the drama. I like the sub stories. The location where they shot this drama is very beautiful. I put Dali or Hunan (im not sure) on my travel list.

My only complaints is.. Its filled with chinese government propaganda. Which i somehow undertand since its a chinese series.

If you can overlook this then its a great show.
I just skipped over it.

Very nice

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Um drama que te traz conforto.

Eu sabia que quando assistisse a esse drama ia se tornar marcante para mim.
Particularmente a vila me lembra o lugar que a minha irmã mais velha vive, uma cidadezinha do interior Paulista(na Serra da Mantiqueira, no Brasil) em que a principal renda é o turismo e por isso o drama é muito próximo da realidade em que já vivi passando as férias por lá hahah por mais que sejam países diferentes e que estejam a milhas de distância, a vida mais leve no interior, o compartilhamento de alimentos entre amigos e vizinhos, a fofoca entre moradores, ir acampar e observar as estrelas, são coisas que em qualquer lugar do mundo são comuns.
A história do drama é um primor, tão bonito, aconchegante e bem escrito. A naturalidade que as relações dos personagens foram construídas foi o ponto alto do drama. ♡
Queria destacar que a trilha sonora, a fotografia e os cenários são perfeitos.

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Must watch drama

Meet yourself is one my favourite dramas.The story and pacing is good.All characters are very lovable.There are no misunderstandings and confusion.It really is realistic and heart warming drama.

At first I thought how I gonna finish 40 episodes (Max no episodes i usually watch is 24) but when I completed each episode I wanted more and more.I felt sad that episodes are running over and wished there should be another 40 episodes.

It is a must watch drama.for every episode I felt like Iam living in the drama.The chemistry between leads is realistic and lovable.Each character has its uniqueness.Its a wonderful and must watch drama.I hope you will feel the drama as I felt.

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Good general drama

The overall high level story from start to finish is very engaging. Just about anyone from any country can relate to the day in and day out highs and lows that is portrayed in this drama. But as with anything now in 2023 you can see many subtle undercurrents about things in general. Some of the other reviews made comments about this being a China promotional drama to draw tourists back to China. Not sure how accurate that really is but from a drama story stand point it truly stands out because it actually feels like a story about every day people meeting, becoming friends and helping each other while also trying to find their way without the current stress that society has pressured people into believing they have to do certain things in order to consider yourself successful.

There are truly many very heart felt natural moments through out the episodes and all of the actors and characters have meaningful parts thru out. While you can say there's a FL and ML to the drama this has to be one of the few dramas where many characters had pretty good supporting side stories to the main story. The main story and side stories were all very well entwined with each other kudos for pulling that off since that's usually very rare to have happen in most dramas.

The OST was very nice and mellow but towards the end it got repetitive but still nice.

Totally amazing that I actually watched a cdrama that didn't have someone either stealing, killing, getting revenge. While they did manage to have someone die of cancer which seems almost mandatory these days. At least this time it was more to set the whole rest of the story instead of drawing out a bad ending. Lots of Chinese idioms and culture with very positive outlooks in general.

Will probably rewatch again a year or so from now to compare 2022/2023 to how the future is for China. Don't see how it's getting straight 10's except for trying to push towards a high rating to get more people to watch. Sort of feels more contrived to push certain themes and views to foreign viewers.

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