suirennaa

i get your point but i think the struggles are just more subtle after the initial arc. it shifts from external hardship to internal growth which isn’t as obvious but still there especially in the current episodes. the drama is intentionally grounded, that’s why xiaolan seems to overcome things “easily.” take the scene where she sees zhou cheng with a woman and child, instead of forcing a cliché misunderstanding, the writing lets her stay level headed and process her emotions. xiaolan even waits for zhou cheng to tell her himself and we see her internal conflict over how to deal with it. not every struggle has to be loud to feel real and xiaolan isn’t the only one growing in this drama, the other characters do too. a rating below 8 is too low considering the overall execution and the mature writing the drama currently delivers.

she was probably born in the late '80s or early '90s. in '98, when her family had the accident, she appears to be around 7 to 9 years old. by '06, she’s shown on a date and is in her teenage years. in 2010, she’s already working as a salesperson at luna and seems to be in her early 20s, which fits. based on that timeline, she would be in her early to mid-30s by the time she time-travels in 2026.

xiaolan never goes back to the modern timeline in the novel and yes, there must be kissing scenes—i’ve seen two bts clips (the rooftop one is quite spicy 😽) and it’s included in the trailer. you know how reserved people were in that era so we should let this couple take their time.

that’s the charm of jdramas. on the other hand, cdramas seem to be getting less and less creative. serious, high quality dramas aren’t being supported by platforms and then these same platforms wonder why their active users are declining lol

love, love granny yu! she’s wise, classy, and miles apart from that other grandma 😌

my thought is that they must still be young so they crave that kind of content or maybe they simply lack cultural awareness. however, the synopsis is there for a reason and viewers should read it to know what to expect before watching, especially for a period drama like this. otherwise, it’s just unfair.

you’re so real for that haha i’m asian and born in the ’90s but i'm still aware of this kind of romance from that era. besides, romance is just one aspect of the drama and isn't even the main point—it's pretty obvious from the synopsis.

he’s a future devoted husband, i approve! like xiaolan said, his qualities as a man are rare even in modern times 🥲

the dialogue in this drama is truly worth pondering. how is it this good? i’ve seen very, very few storylines where a woman, even after transmigrating into the body of someone with outdated ideas, still affirms the essence of womanhood. i need more female leads like this 😭 stay clear-headed, even in love!

it can't be. there's an interview with the lead actor saying the moment he'd most want to stay in was the finale when everyone was back in grandma yu's courtyard, with everyone by his side. that must have been in 1983 and not in the original timeline.

also noticed in their airing calendar that they put a wedding couple emoji for episode 34 so they'll get married in that episode, the last episode has money emoji.

she was training in ballet for another drama before this filming started i think which works timing-wise since the earlier xiaolan appears quite malnourished due to neglect and the xia family wasn’t very well-off. she later gains weight as xiaolan begins to earn money.

she should keep on working with veteran actors. she's siginificantly improved and slayed her performance in that 1983 drama.

yes! maybe i'm also influenced by the praises and discussions in chinese platforms despite the minimal promotions of this drama. there's just tons of positive reviews whether it's the plot, acting or editing and i also get an insight on details that i overlooked as an international viewer. my common ground with them is that i'm tired of watching chinese dramas these days padded with filler content, actors emphasizing their looks on the screen instead of serving their characters (just go and shoot music videos 😐) or male leads stealing the highlights of female leads.

i’m seriously confused about the current rating as well. do you know how rare it is to find a truly female-centric chinese drama like this? we finally get a story centered on a female lead who’s focused on personal growth and isn’t just “love-brained" and it’s still not appreciated. it’s 2026, i can’t believe this drama is still ahead of its time. the author and screenwriters of this drama are honestly brilliant.

the novel is so long, they probably have to rush to the main focus of this drama which is building a better life in the 80s—starting businesses, navigating economic changes as well as progress in family and romantic relationships.

google says "by the late 1980s and early 1990s, polystyrene began to see wider use in consumer packaging in china."

i like that we get a glimpse of modern xiaolan at the start of each episode, followed by a meaningful episode title (like a chapter title if this is a novel). then we move on to the main story which somehow relates to that earlier glimpse and episode title. this drama is really well thought out.

for this drama, i wouldn’t even suggest watching one or two episodes to decide—i’d say just give it ten minutes! it’s that good. ofc, you still have your own preferences.

caution: you can’t multitask while watching this. look away for a second and you’ll miss a whole plot lol

i also thought she would get sabotaged haha

i really believe that this drama is set in the parallel world. the world before and after the time-skip is virtually identical. however, since xiaolan has traveled through time, her former self, along with her family, relatives, and friends, naturally no longer exists. otherwise, there would be two xiaolan in this world. in parallel worlds, some things are the same and some are different. it's like how the math problems in the college entrance exam are different but that big boss in the fashion industry might just be the same.