Echoes of a Thousand Moons

Affecting, educational and inspirational - a story of hope for our tumultuous times

I’m so happy I watched this outstanding drama. Even though there were not all happy moments and the characters I cared deeply about endured enormous suffering for years on end, it really does validate the sentiment that “heaven is other people”.

Sometimes people may first appear as an insignificant “little bug”, or so sheltered by privilege that their hurts might not register as profoundly as some, but in all it is people’s bravery, determination, self reflection and personal growth that makes all the difference.

As much as I was looking forward to the moment they all meet together again (after one other character I regretfully accepted wouldn’t be part of the big reunion) I still was not prepared for the dramatic emotional punch when they did.

I cried many times during this well-paced and meticulously crafted historical drama for the extreme sacrifices so many in the global south have to make just to reclaim their land, labour and dignity from European and imperial invaders but I was also uplifted thinking of the anti-imperial liberation struggles still ongoing today in Cuba and Venezuela; in Yemen, DRC, The Alliance of Sahel States, and Sudan; in Russia and North Korea; and in Iran and Palestine as well as many more, that a better world is eventually possible if we resist and fight.

I wish many full moons and full hearts for those who fight still even when the odds seem overwhelmingly outside their favor.

This is more than a historical retrospective; for communities still engaged in struggle and those in solidarity with them, Echoes of a Thousand Moons is an inspiration for our equally tumultuous and epoch-defining times.

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Compelling Story That Ultimately Disappoints

Sorry, this review does include spoilers but it's important to why the movie ultimately disappoints. Overall, it was a compelling story covering the years of the Sino-Japanese War. The visuals were beautiful covering large cities and the countryside. It had an epic feel covering a huge event in a chaotic time that ushered in huge changes, however it didn't feel overwhelming as it was told through the experiences of two very different men. The patriotic commander, Zhang Yun Kui and everyman cook, Meng Wan Fu. While their stories helped tell the story of Japanese resistance and the somewhat glorified role of communist forces, it almost could have been two movies. The men fight together in one of the first major battles but soon go their separate ways.

Both men experience changes and Wang Yang is great as the heroic military man who completely changes his understanding of what values are actually important in warfare. I just saw him play a very different minor role as a shady character and he was good in the role but he embodied the stoic, fearless commander and I think he was perfectly cast in the role. However, the plight of his family along with Meng was the heart of the movie and Zhang's father, wife Ding Yujiao and especially Meng made the biggest changes from who they were at the beginning of the series. Huang Cheng Cheng was excellent in the role. It seemed to be so much more dynamic to see what was happening in the city and the experiences they went through set the tone for the changes in all three of them. The story seemed to move quicker in the city and there was more political maneuvering, insight into the supplying of communist forces, competing interests with business and Japanese co-operation, and just surviving in a small area increasingly occupied by Japanese forces.

**Big spoiler ahead***

Along with the political and battlefield danger, there is of course a love story and again I think the story of Meng and Zhang's family is the more interesting one. The love of people who grow as a family and the platonic love story of Meng Wan Fu and Ding Yujiao. At various times, I loved that it was platonic and sometimes I wanted them to become an actual couple and I think it's really up to our own imagination if they do. As impossible as it may seem to really happen, the real and fake marriages of each other's spouses/fiancées kept me wondering what would happen when they all met up. What happens when you meet up with the spouse you thought was dead and you have remarried, and you know have to work with them for a larger cause. The lead up to them all meeting was played out wonderfully but when they all got together, it was unfortunately disappointing. It was rushed in the last 3 parts of the series and other than a quick conversation, everyone is fine and moves on quickly. In fact the whole end of the series is rushed. After so much detail and story building for the first few years of the war, the last and final victory is a quick recap of a huge battle and ultimate victory.

Zhang Yunkui and Han Xiao Yue's story wraps up neatly but I think it does a disservice to Meng and Ding's story to not let the other 2 know that they weren't really married. Zhang's wife loved two other men in different ways but she remained true to her husband and couldn't let go of his space in her life. Similarly Men Wan Fu so respected Zhang that he couldn't imagine replacing him in his widow's heart. This could have been explored so much more and I wanted to see all of them navigate this admission and how Zhang and Han dealt with it in spite of the fact that they actually fell in love. We don't even get a scene where Zhang learns the extent of all Meng did expresses his thanks for taking care of his family. Usually I don't mind an ambiguous ending where Meng and Ding are overjoyed to find each other after being apart and we don't know what happened after, but in my imagination, they grow to love each other as a real couple.

So, overall, a strong start and great weaving of historical events into personal stories but ultimately disappointing by not bridging the 2 separate stories more at the end, rushing the events at the end and downplaying the dynamic of the couples all coming together. I was waiting everyday for new episodes to come out and felt a huge let down at the end.

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A magnificent Republican war drama depicting the resilience of ordinary people

Echoes of a Thousand Moons is a Republican-era war drama set between 1937 and 1944, during the Resistance War against the Japanese Invasion. Far from a generic production, this is a drama full of personality that depicts the war from the perspective of ordinary citizens; there are no big generals or remarkable lone heroes, just soldiers and civilians who convey the resilience of the people during that period.

Although the story of its characters is fictional, the background is historically accurate, and the attention to period details is outstanding for the most part. This amazingly paced drama is grounded and realistic while also artistic, with a poetic flavour that talks directly to the viewer´s heart. A very cinematic and textured experience directed by Zhang Yong Xin, enhanced by a poignant soundtrack and fantastic performances led by Wang Yang, Wan Qian, Huang CheChen, Yu Hewei, Bi Yan Jun and Cao Lei.

The English name holds up quite well against the original Chinese title "Ba Qian Li Lu Yun He Yue" (八千里路云和月), which can be translated as "Eight thousand miles of road, clouds and moon". This is taken directly from one famous poem of the Southern Song Dynasty, written by the general and national hero Yue Fei: "The River All Red" (满江红), which expresses ardent patriotism and the desire to reclaim lost territory. So, just from the start, the drama establishes a tone of sacrifice, long journey, and unwavering loyalty.

The story revolves around the growth arcs of a righteous KMT Brigade Commander fallen from grace (Zhang Yunkui), his family - formed by his scholar father (Zhang Qi Xian) and well‑educated, generous wife (Ding Yu Jiao) -, and a simple, uneducated cook (Meng Wanfu) that happened to cross paths with them. Along their journey, they encounter many other characters from different backgrounds and personalities, whether in the countryside or the big cities, a fact that allows the director to show all the different and complex realities of war, but mostly the painful and relentless power that historical events have on individuals' lives, dreams and desires.

The storytelling is organized into four arcs, with two main storylines: one on the battlefront which follows the main events of the war, and one focused on the lives of ordinary citizens, mainly set in Shanghai. This structure affects the screen presence of the characters throughout the whole drama, so if you're thinking of watching it because of a particular actor, be aware: you might be disappointed.

The first arc spans from the Battle of Shanghai to the fall of Nanjing, led mainly by Zhang Yunkui and Meng Wanfu. It is one of the most powerful sets of ten episodes I've seen so far – it holds the record of making me tear up in almost all of them, yet it is so poignant that I rewatch several. The battle scenes – with no gore - are stunningly composed and capture the essence of those devastating events that are kept in historical pictures, including a nod to the real-life missionary nuns who protected refugees during the massacre in that city.

From now on, although some characters might get on your nerves – especially in the following arc -, you won´t have such emotionally demanding storytelling in a row except for specific and short parts. But don´t get me wrong, it still isn´t for the faint of heart, yet its excellent pace and the humour and warm moments in between help balance things out.

The second arc is focused mainly on Ding Yujiao (the wife) and her newborn son, Meng Wanfu (the cook) and Zhang Qi Xian (the general´s scholar father) and their life as refugees on the Shanghai French Concession. After doing some research on this, I was in awe of how well the whole situation was portrayed. Meanwhile, the battlefront storyline has less time on screen but if you don´t know about this war, it will help you follow the events as it´s structured around the key battles of the war. Again, you´ll find quite faithful portraits of historical war records regarding the soldiers.

Another highlight of the drama is its portrayal of the Sichuan Army, which first appears near the end of the opening arc and remains present until the conclusion. What makes this depiction particularly compelling is that it reflects a fascinating historical reality that many viewers outside China may not be familiar with.

Before the war, the Sichuan Army was considered the absolute bottom of China's military forces, famously known as the "Two Guns Army" because they often carried a rifle in one hand and an opium pipe in the other - a habit from years of internal warlord conflicts-, or the "Straw Sandal Army" because their equipment was shockingly poor. They had virtually no artillery, armor, or air support and their food supplies were so bad they often survived on sweet potatoes and wild herbs.

Despite their terrible state, the Sichuan Army's courage on the battlefield completely rewrote their legacy. The scale of the sacrifice is staggering: of the approximately 3.5 million soldiers left Sichuan to fight the Japanese, over 640,000 were killed, wounded, or missing in action. 20% of all Chinese casualties, the highest of any province.

As the refugee storyline settles in, the third arc broadens the canvas, balancing Shanghai's political intrigue with the evolving battlefront – roughly 60% to 40%. On one side, the Shanghai storyline starts to focus on the increasing political complexity between the Japanese, Chiang Kai‑shek's government, the collaborationist government of Wang Jingwei, and the Communist Party, and the pressure suffered by Chinese businessmen to help the Japanese.

This is the arc ruled by Tian Jiatai, a romantic and idealistic businessman inspired by a mix of Saint‑Exupéry – the writer - and Don Quixote – the character. What I love about it is the explicit presence of the former novel in this part of the series, adding another poetic and touching universal reference to a fight against what seems impossible and pointless.

This political complexity paves the way for the final arc, with stronger focus on guerrilla warfare in the south and the convergence of the two storylines. When all of them collide again, it is devastatingly sad, evocative and complex. The tension building to the climax and the resolution return the power and emotional weight of the first arc, including another significant battle: Cheqiao. The ending is indeed satisfying, and just as the characters who reach that point are not the same as when the war started, neither are we as viewers.

All in all, this is a magnificent drama about the cruelty of war – and this particular war – on ordinary people, but mostly about their resilience, their love for their culture and for their land.

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