Stand by Me (2023)

Stand By Me : A Poetic Journey of Self-Discovery

Im not sure where to begin as this show had profound impact on me & opened my eyes to many insights. Its undoubtedly my favorite drama of 2023 even though i have other favorites like Moving and I Am Nobody. This one however, holds a special place in my heart.

This slow burning melodrama set in 1990s China, follows the journey of Luo Qiqi alongside several significant characters who enter her life. From a very young age Luo Qiqi exudes optimism & possesses a unique ability to think outside the box, always questioning the world around her. This quality deeply resonated with me.

The portrayal of Luo Qiqi's journey along with the four other main characters is incredibly authentic, immersing the viewer in their lives. As i watched it felt as if i were right there with them, experiencing their trials and tribulations.

Luo Qiqi encounters many individuals who leave a lasting mark on her life, shaping her into the person she is today. Simultaneously these encounters influence the lives of those she meets raising intriguing questions.

Among the numerous characters, four stand out as instrumental in shaping Luo Qiqi's journey : Xiao Bo, Zhang Jun, Xiao Fe & Guan He. Their impact on her life is substantial & they in turn, undergo significant transformations whether for better or worse, leaving questions in their wake.

Luo Qiqi stands out as the most remarkable character in the entire show. Her strength, determination, intelligence & unwavering loyalty to her friends are truly inspiring. She also demonstrates remarkable empathy towards others and in the face of numerous challenges, she repeatedly overcomes her doubts and fulfills her dreams.

My next favorite character is Xiao Fe, Luo Qiqi's best friend whose imperfections make her character growth one of the most compelling aspects of the drama. Her experiences from unrequited love to personal hardships are portrayed with remarkable realism.
After her r*pe incident, Luo Qiqi comes into her life as a ray of sunshine & slowly helps her piece her life back together. Her whole arc was my favorite part of the drama from the trauma she endured to her recovery all portrayed very realistically, especially considering the 90s China setting. I loved how Luo Qiqi stood by her, supporting her until she could stand on her own feet. Kudos to both actors who portayed Xiao Fe and Luo Qiqi, who gave their all to this storyline.

Then there is Xiao Bo, who plays sibling like role in Luo Qiqi's life. Their dynamic is endearing with moments that sometimes hint at a romantic connection and at other times emphasize their deep sibling like care for one another. Xiao Bo maintains a positive outlook throughout the drama & remains one of the most hardworking characters despite challenging family circumstances. He significantly influences Luo Qiqi's dream of attending a prestigious university, although his later decision to give up on his studies is emotionally difficult to watch.

Guan He enters Luo Qiqi's life at a pivotal moment, precisely when she needs support the most. Guan He is the school's top student, faces unrelenting pressure from her parents to excel, all the while harboring envy towards Luo Qiqi, who lives life on her own terms as Luo Qiqi was living life which she always desired.
Guan He's presence becomes instrumental in Luo Qiqi's academic journey during challenging times & their friendship deepens. They become close friends studying together & sharing their lives. However, as Luo Qiqi outshines her Guan He's insecurity & jealousy surface, leading to the regrettable end of their once strong bond. This development is particularly disheartening considering Guan He's background and character, emphasizing the toll insecurity & envy can take on even the closest of friendships.

In the drama Zhang Jun emerges as its most enigmatic & morally complex character. His relationship with Luo Qiqi is a rollercoaster ride through their shared childhood marked by a mix of betrayal and undeniable attraction. They share a chemistry that is undeniably captivating but Zhang Jun's internal struggles and involvement with gang makes him quite unreliable chatacter.
Initially Zhang Jun & Luo Qiqi were inseparable childhood friends but their bond was marred by moments of betrayal, leaving a bittersweet aftertaste that lingered for years. As the story unfolds their paths cross again & magnetic attraction begins to pull them closer. While they never explicitly cross certain boundaries, its clear that their connection is charged with unspoken emotions.
Their chemistry is undeniable yet Zhang Jun's character is a mix of both red and green flags, underscoring the unhealthy nature of their relationship. Like Luo Qiqi he was once a top student but he loses his way & becomes entangled with a troublesome gang, leading to complications in his relationship with Luo Qiqi.
The most heart wrenching moment in the narrative arrives when Zhang Jun makes the painful decision to relinquish their shared dream of attending university together. He realizes that staying close to her will only hold her back & this decision again solidifies the point of him being most complex character of this drama.

Despite these characters drifting away from Luo Qiqi, which almost leading to her giving up on her lifelong dream of attending a top university, they also serve as her catalyst for self realization and personal growth.

This beautiful show feels like a work of poetic art delivering a profound exploration of self discovery and development.

I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone, although its essential to note that its a slow burn melodrama, so if this genre isn't your cup of tea, you may want to consider other options.

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The road to the Top of the mountain is a very lonely journey

First of all, “Stand by Me” is not a typical, cute and fluffy high school romance drama. It gives off a vibe similar to that of “The Bond”. The drama talks of life as a high schooler back in the 90s and how they endure hardships and challenges. All the main characters come from broken families and most have lower socio-economic status. There are definitely some fun and lighter moments, but for the most part, this is not a very happy drama. But it’s a great drama nonetheless, if you know what you are getting yourself into.

There are many references to classic Chinese wuxia novels, Hong Kong dramas, movies, music and stars. If you are unfamiliar, you don’t miss much of the important plot. But if you are familiar (which I am), it feels very nostalgic in a good way. It’s similar to watching the very popular K-drama Reply 1988.

“Stand By Me” focuses on the journey of female lead Luo Qi Qi. We follow her from when she was an adorable and super smart young girl, living with her grandfather in the village. As she moved to the city to live with her parents, she was forced to grow up and it’s heartbreaking to see the outgoing and innocent young girl disappear. The drama spends the rest of the time telling the story of Qi Qi’s learning and discovering herself, identifying her goals and her dedication to achieving her dreams. Along the way, she met friends who supported her and encouraged her. But the road to the top of the mountain is a very lonely journey. Is she able to achieve her dreams with her friends?

A few quick bullet points on what I like:
1. Zhang Xi Wei who played the young Luo Qi Qi is fantastic.
2. I love the scenes of young Qi Qi and her grandfather. I wish I could see more flashbacks of them together.
3. Top notch acting by Zhao Jin Mai. She carries the show on her shoulder and runs with it.
4. The rest of the cast is just as good. I initially thought Wu Jia Kai (who played Zhang Jun) might be the weaker of the cast. But he grew on me and I think his acting improved throughout the drama.
5. I don’t question Bai Yu Fan’s acting, but I do question him playing a high schooler. He looks a little too older to be an 18 year old.
6. Love that the actors use their own voice. Big plus with live recording. This really adds to my viewing pleasure as there are many emotional scenes.
7. It’s nice to see a drama where the main characters are not geniuses or Mary Sues. They are all flawed and interesting.
8. It’s nice to see teachers who are decent and act like teachers.
9. It’s also nice to see parents who are real and not overly-bearing (just a little) or overly protective. They are not perfect, but the female lead’s mother actually communicates and wants to have honest conversations, after fiery emotions died down.
10. This drama is so real.

A few quick bullet points on what I have mixed feelings of:
1. This drama is so real. At times it was very difficult to watch, especially to binge. I do not recommend binge-watching this straight.
2. 30 episodes focusing primarily in high school is a little much. I lost focus and felt the pace slow down in the middle.
3. If Luo Qi Qi and Zhang Jun actually communicate honestly and openly, they would not have that many arguments. They make up and break up quite a bit (as friends).
4. I do hate Qi Qi a little bit sometimes for her stubborn and prideful personality. It’s OK to back down once a while and be considerate of others’ feelings. She’s an interesting character. I love her and I hate her.
5. The drama can seem a little preachy.
6. Romance is light, even for a high school drama. So, don't go in looking for romance.


Overall, this is a great drama. I can see why it has a high Douban rating (currently at 8.3,) as the local Chinese audience can definitely relate to what the characters are going through. But I am not sure the international audience will feel the same way, esp. if they are looking for typical teen high school C-dramas. I recommend this drama to all for its excellent acting and realistic portrayal of life in the 90s as a Chinese high schooler. I definitely do not recommend binge-watching this in 3 days. I tried and was watching this along with “My Dearest” (K-drama), and the cruelty of reality and life's challenges really got to me and I was very stressed out.



Completed: 11/20/2023 - Review #378

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Refashioned classic in to contemporary drama.

This drama used a classic as inspiration and drew four main characters from it. Similarly, it has an open ending but uses that to draw an educated guess that this drama has a HE. From the first episode, clues were dropped metaphorically, and it became clearer when the leads spoke aloud some of the well-known, legendary lines of an all-time best-seller in English.

Spoiler alert.

"Why, land is the only thing worth fighting for and dying for, because it's the only thing that lasts. It will come to you—this love of the  land."Unforgettable and famous lines from the iconic and classic book "Gone With the Wind" It's an emotional, powerful battle cry to evoke strong and brave determination to struggle, fight, and win against all odds. Substitute "land" for "education," and that's the theme of the drama. The power of education to change oneself and one's destiny .

The plot is an account of a girl's battle to attend university to escape poverty.

The primary four characters were modeled after the classic: Scarlett O'Hara (SOH), Rhett Butler (RB), Ashley Wilkes (AW), and Melanie Hamilton (MH).
 
Lou QiQi (QQ) was a strong,stubborn, smart, quirky, rebellious, and irrepressible girl with a strong ambition to better herself through education. This seed was planted in her by her adored grandfather when she was living happily with him in the rural countryside. He encouraged her love of reading and turned her childish curiosity into an analytical, logistical way of thinking. When she was brought back by her estranged mother to live in town,she was often neglected as her parents poured their care and attention onto her spoiled younger sister. At school, her grades were poor. She was often threatened by her mother to stop her schooling and work in a factory. She had to study hard every day for her journey to university. She turned resentful and rebellious, a short-tempered girl. She received her emotional support from XiaoBo (XB), a boy three years older than her, whom she regarded as an older brother. They promised each other to go to the university to change for a better future. Like SOH, QQ had the tenacity and perseverance to study hard, to be the smartest in school, and thus gain entry to university.

Zhang Jun (ZJ) was a good-looking, popular boy who lived alone, abandoned by divorced parents. That was reflected in his attention-seeking tendencies bordering on arrogant recklessness. His devil-may-care attitude hid feelings of insecurity and jealousy whenever he saw the closeness of XB with QQ. Inadequacy when QQ grades started to improve. He didn't understand her goal of being the smartest girl in school. They hid their innermost feelings, fears, worries, and doubts and hurt each other's pride and ego. Their stormy relationship was marked by fights and reconciliation because they didn't know what made the other tick. Things came to a head when XB told him that QQ planned to go to a lower-tier university with him. He was under tremendous pressure to measure up to her level and felt undeserving of her. The final straw was when she took revenge on him by betting with another top student to be first in  class.A role reversal that hurt his self-worth and self-respect. Replicating RB, though he cared for her, he still left her. He cares too much for her to drag down a high-flying kite like QQ.  


XiaoBo (XB) was a studious, reliable, hard-working, and dutiful son who lived with his mentally ill mother. He and QQ promised to go to Beijing University together. He fell in love with QQ but hesitated to tell her. He waited too long and missed his chance. Time and tide wait for no man. The tide of circumstances turned against him, and he failed in his finals twice through no fault of his own. The second time was when he was hiding from the police because of a fight and didn't turn up for the exam. That was his turning point when he gave up going to university, as he didn't change himself into an intellectual who didn't fight with his fist. He turned himself in and went to prison. It also meant he gave up being with QQ. In poignantly heartbreaking scenes in which he played out his fantasy as a boy buying his girl a dress and dancing with her on the dance floor for the first, last, and only time, Afterwards, he cut off all ties with her, as metaphorically shown with the bulldozer breaking down their old club house and significantly on QQ final exam day. Like AW, who was unattainable as he was married, QQ was unattainable because he has no degree and has a prison record. He always wanted the best for her, and he was not the best.

XiaoFei (XF), the best friend of QQ from childhood. Sweet, kind, gentle, and demure-looking, but like MH, underneath the soft exterior was a hard, resilient interior. She had nerves of steel as she bravely pointed her rapist at the police station. Her rapists were caught and sent to prison. However, she had to drop out of school because of the scandal and move to Beijing alone to begin anew. She took on many different jobs to work toward her goal of hotel management. The iron hand under the velvet glove.

The drama ended with an open ending, educated guess based on metaphorical clues from the drama as its HE. (This cannot be done openly as its Chinese adaptation was OE.)
1) Going by the classic, Frank Kennedy was SOH's second HUSBAND, whose wealth paved the way for her to regain her land. Chen Jin/CJ, the genius childhood friend of QQ, paved the way for her to study faster and more efficiently by telling her his tips. When she wanted to quit school because of poor grades, he motivated her with inspired words and showed her that she had the same potential and level as him when they both solved a math problem on the board. They spoke the same language and were in the same world.

2) CJ was the first boy she met in elementary school. In romance books and dramas, the first male lead, the FL laid eyes, was the one they ended up with.

3) In the first and last episodes, her face showed a look of unexpected surprise. Expect the unexpected.

4) Also in the first and last episodes were scenes of land. In this drama, education is represented by Land and CJ. The FIRST is to LAST forever.

5) In the second last episode, the final few minutes of a truck and a train( which she was on) were moving in unison. The fast-moving train then shot past, and the slower truck left the highway to diverge on a smaller road and faded into the darkness. It's an allegory, as the truck was ZJ and XB diverging from her while she was on the train to Beijing to meet CJ.

6) The poster showed XB and QQ in an allegorical highlight of the drama, as both had dreams of going to university. QQ was holding a book. A book is a symbol of education, as is the walking encyclopedia, CJ.

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"The Youth That We Can't Go Back To" - rightfully said ! :)

I came across this drama by accident and I'm so happy that I did ! I loved watching it so much, it reminded me of my youthful days every other second - full of emotions, vulnerability, confusion, mistake, hopeful wishes, goals, stresses, efforts, friendships, lifelong attachments etc. ! I loved the actor portraying the character "ZHANG JUN" the most. Actor 'WU JIA KAI's acting as 'Zhang Jun' was a true delight to watch - so fresh yet very mature and full of brilliance ! Loved the storyline as well, it wasn't slow paced or boring to me unlike many others according to this comment section ! Being an Asian and an actual 90's baby myself, I felt the portrayal of the storyline was actually quite good and infact, so relatable ! And loved the background score of the whole drama - the intro, the outro and the OSTs - all of them ! Kudos to each and every actor - all of them performed so well in portraying each of their characters ! Great job done by the whole production team ! "STAND BY ME (2023)" is a solid 10/10 from/for me ! :)

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the story linee

a very great story line. it shows u some parts of the world that u never know existed. i cried the most when zhangjun let go of qiqi so that she could have a better future and i cannot accept that this drama is an open ending drama. i really like wu jia kai's acting and he deserve to be acknowledge by the world n pls give him more dramas to act. overall this is a really great drama and i will definitely rewatch it again. but i do hope there will be a season 2 where zhangjun and qiqi end up together because their chemistry in this drama is top tier. i am looking forward for the director to release a season 2 where the love story between zhangjun n qiqi begin.

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"Stand by Me" going to stand by my side for a long long time...

This one takes your heart away. There is an intensity that keeps you on edge, makes you anxious, and makes you look forward to every scene of almost every character.

The two leads of this series are like none other; if one is fire, then the other is earth (not water). The earth keeps the fire grounded instead of extinguishing it. There is another element of the story who is a phoenix, not in a good way or a bad way, but it fans the flames of the fire even more.

So this story of fire, earth, and phoenix is an amazing and enthralling tale of youth, longing, desires, dreams, and the destiny of setting oneself free from the shackles of society and those around who try to fit you into a box when you are more than that, when you are capable of much more than that.

Qi Qi, Xiao Bo, and Zhang Jun by no means are ordinary high schoolers. Wrangled in a constant push and pull of their inner voices, they dream big for themselves, failing every time they get close to it. However, they never give up, no matter how much they are thrashed by their peers, parents, and society; their vision becomes clearer with every fall. They have each other to embrace after they face setbacks in life.

Especially Qi Qi and Xiao Bo, their affection for each other, care for each other, proves once again that blood has no meaning if you don't show love, support, and warmth for your family. QQ and XB have an unfathomable bond and support for each other that makes me want to find a man like XB. He is gold for her, and she is a diamond for him.

The phoenix of this story, Zhang Jun, is an uncontrolled beast of goodness that stirs up the world of fire. ZJ made my heart flutter even more; his gazes following FL speak more words than any mouth can ever speak. But his ambiguity makes me anxious; it frustrates me, and I want to yell at him for making the fire flame up every time they come in contact. I had difficulty reaching ZJ's mind, like what he is thinking, what does he actually want? Is he a delinquent kid with no parents around? Does he yearn for love? Is that why he is keeping Qi Qi close to him and yet staying far from her? It's like he wants her and then acts like he is a stranger. Their days spent in their childhood under the tunnel, talking about math, equations, dreams, and broken hearts in their families, stay with them. But it has frozen their time, and they are unable to move past that time, although they have become adults. They are unable to communicate exactly what they want from each other.

I fell in love with this one, as it was unusual from other Chinese school setting series, and above the intense scenes, and entailing music, and sadness of this one makes me want it more and keep me hooked to screen. I love it so much and this is going to be in my memory for a long long time.

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The real meaning of YOUTH

when i first started to watch this drama i was not very much moved by this but when i read the discription and i thought that maybe me as a viewer can relate by this so i continue watch this till i realised that it is vey much realistic, I really loved watching this drama so much i feel emotions like confusion, friendship, envy, attachment, hope and the main is LIFE GOAL or MOTIVE and MEANING

according to me, i really love the character of "YU CHENG EN" as "CHEN JIN" the reason behind me liking Chen Jin is whenever Luo Qi Qi is in trouble or somehow she got stuck in between hesitation he will come as light in Luo Qi Qi's life and helped her to find the path on her own not by forcing or something just saying some words and by his actions Chen Jin is like a guide in Luo Qi Qi's life

and here now comes with "AFFECTION" in this series there are only two emotions shown mostly 1st is affection and 2nd is envy
The affection between Qi Qi and Xiao Bo for each other, cares for each other like there is a connection between them and this shows that even blood relations get fades if you don't show love and support with your family. Qi Qi and Xiao Bo have unbreakable bond and they care for each other that makes my heart flutter; this shows they both are nothing without each other this kind of care says all ^^
and in the last 2nd ep i fell in love with Zhang Jun especially when he follows her step by step and let her misunderstand that he is Xiao Bo so that Qi Qi can move further
ost is as good as drama don't need to say more

Last but not least i would say the production team of "STAND BY ME (2023)" nailed the show what they wanted to show i.e. the emotions the attachment the jealously the envy the sadness all the ACTORS come it to life and make a GREAT SHOW

lastly i would like to request for season 2! its hard not to see them at the end standing beside each other i was expecting them to meet at that river side ㅠㅠ
THANK YOU :)

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Most realistic tv series ever

I found that the first episodes were so slow in developing events though it was necessary for the setting of characters
I like the fact that it has many motivational messages to your average to outstanding students in high school
The ending was a little bit unclear and undeveloped though it's understandable giving the length of the story
The main female lead did a great job in portraying her character and was amazing throughput the series.
The male leads were a little bit stagnant in their character development. They kept repeating the same cycle of action and reaction without much improvement

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Incredible deep dive into the relationships of the protagonist with the people around her. To sum it up shortly. I have so much to say about this but this is by far the best piece of media I have watched.
My forever favourite!
I will never get over the relationship of Qiqi and Xiao Fei. The scenes of them together in ep 19 I believe? Mean so so much to me.
My second favourite relationship would be Qiqi's with Zhao Jun. The two of them are so much more than friends turned to love interest. To me they are a pretty accurate picture of 'soulmates'.
I am still reading the web novel and for now I have to say that the series adaption is very close to the novel and I almost like the series more I think.<3

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heartbreaking stories of youth ~ MUST WATCH

this is a must watch show. its heartbreaking, wrenching, dropping, etc.

this show is very unique. ive never seen anything similar, maybe some movies but never shows.

it is beautifully written and directed. watching this is definetely something all drama watchers should do. i would say there arent that many slow or boring parts. each character is struggling or succeeding in one way or the other that the plot is very smooth and keeps you entertained.

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luo qiqi is a very sad character. she struggles with issues of finding her selfworth, finding love within her family and friends, and finding a purpose in life. her parents suck honestly. i really hated how they denied how horribly they treated her. and i really disliked not seeing qiqi yelling at them some more bc i wouldve. in the end she overcomes it and finds her purpose. i think with the thought of her grandfather in the back of her mind she succeeded in doing so.

zhang jun, he was a very pitiful character. his family lied about his mom. his dad basically abandoned him and started another family. albeit, he started it when he was grown, but that doesnt change the fact that he was an absentee dad who ended up being a present father to his younger sibling. he struggled with finding a purpose, self worth and the feeling of love like qiqi as well. in the end he started over and tried again. likely with the inspiration from qiqi.

ge xiaofei, another sad character. at first i didnt feel bad for her because she was rude to qiqi for no reason. but then i understood and empathized with her. she had an abusive dad, and a mom with no power. sadly because she ended up following wang zheng around she ended up being gRaped... however im glad she got her justice in the end. not only that but she ended up finding her own happiness and peace.

ma li was a hopeful character. mostly because even though he didnt go to high school, and the factory job through the school program didnt work out. yet he was still able to do what he wanted, which was earn money to support himself and his family. he happily achieved his goal of driving a taxi.

xu xiaobo, another pitiful chatacter. he was robbed of his dreams because of his shit friend, and his family struggles. his moms health affected him because he couldnt safely leave her with anyone. proved by squid losing her and his uncle complaining. its very sad he was unable to go to university. however in the end he found happiness in the opportunities he did have. luckily he is smart as well and can easily study computer science on his own, i wonder if thats what he did.

guan he... i really didnt like her. although i understand the pressures of being an excellent kid and student always, her outburst against qiqi was ugly. she was taking her anger out on her which is a bad trait.

same with squid (jiajie). he was a selfish character who seemed jealous or envious of xiaobo. although its an accident, losing his mom during the college entrance exam... like just stay awake... or lock her in the room she was in. not only that but doing it again the following year. if he had his shit together as a manager at the karaoke place, xiaobo wouldve peacefully still been at school. he was over reliant on him and that was a burden on him.

i love the show because of how each character progresses or digresses. each character had their own setbacks and successes and i loved seeing how they navigated their way through it.

my only sadness w this show is not seeing a breakthough in the relationship between luo qiqi and zhang jun. they were cute. they were soulmates. and maybe they end up together in the special episode... idk.

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