To the Wonder (2024)

As Kazakh person, this drama passed my vibe check:)

As a Kazakh, it was a must to watch this drama and I really enjoyed it. I’m also from a small village, but more modern / settled type, however some people from my village also go to summer ranches (zhailau/jailau) to herd their cattle. In my village there are many Kazakhs from China and Mongolia, so this drama really showed the vibe of jailau and life of people there. Especially, I was amazed with the actors play and how they delivered real life situations and conversations so naturally. I had a feeling as if I was living with them in that village and observing everything from outside. Also, respect to the male lead actor who is not Kazakh but was trying to pronounce some difficult words in Kazakh, yet other actors’ Kazakh language was authentic. There were many funny moments that maybe only Kazakh person(who speaks Kazakh) could understand, because of course as in any other languages there are some phrases or sayings that you can’t really translate without altering the meaning a bit. Overall, I enjoyed cinematography, music, acting, and plot as well. So, go watch it!!!

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Here, "living" is the simplest thing.

Being The Winner of Magnolia Award Best TV series of 2024, & Having a Grand Rating of 8.9 in Douban, "我的阿勒泰" /My Altay/ "To The Wonder" is one of the finest & Sincere productions of China that came out in recent years. It's a cultural tourism work of Northern Xinjiang but the Cinematic quality is truly magnificent. A Storytelling like a roaming raconteur, Picturesque Cinematography, Excellent Camera work & Direction, Every shot is immersive, and Every Actor perfectly embodied their roles.

At the age of 19, Li Wenxiu stood at a crossroads in her life and asked a writer she admired what to do during a lecture.The writer said, "Go love, go live, go get hurt". It felt like the original author Li Juan's self narration, this drama is adapted from her eponymous essay collections, the original work is a record of her own life experiences as an adolescent living in the Altay Mountains, living with her Mother & Elderly Grandmother alongside nomadic Kazakh herders for several years. They migrated & moved ranches with the herders, run a general store, worked as small tailors sewing clothes, picked wild mushrooms deep in the mountains, & experienced a close-up look of lives of this ethnic minority, Prolly the reason why this drama felt so Genuine. The best part of watching was the rawness of it, be it the characters or the landscapes, or the relationships & the conversations that came along with it...Customs, traditions & Cultural aspects of the ethnic minorities were interesting to watch, Zhang Fengxia's dynamic with her daughter & mother was chaotic, funny & heartwarming at the same time, the chemistry between Male & female lead was Calm, soothing & refreshing. Ba Tai & His family with other minor supporting roles & their journey with the Main characters created a blended experience of immersive storytelling.

Yu Shi is So Manly Handsome & a pleasant discovery of Acting Talent. Such a natural aura out there with bare minimum Makeup & styling. He is horse-riding, singing, playing musical instruments, doing archery, & speaking Kazakh half-fluently. His Ba Tai is Charming, youthful & gentle at heart. Zhou Yiran is such a pretty lady & she carried her role really well, watching them on screen have been an absolute pleasure.

This drama has a world of It's own, & it successfully made me appreciate that world of vast grasslands.In the remote northwest region of Altay, a land with Snow-capped mountains reaching into the clouds, dense forests, flocks of sheep, horses galloping freely, Kazakh boys on horseback, and Han girls in long skirts—the pure and bright vitality of life leaps off the screen. Everything is so picturesque, calm and natural, When things feel heavy in life, try this drama for a Scenic peace of mind.

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