Thank you for your very detailed comment. I’m glad you liked the review. No I found the corporal couple at the…
I see, but it's exactly the same footage as the end of the "vanishing" scene 42:48 , just cutting before the vanishing, and without the shimmering, so I thought it was only another flashback in the collection of those that illustrate end credits, and nothing additional. Of course, why not view it as a reality, just not in the backyard but another place in the mountain, and the (I think earthenware rather than wood) statuette of the Landrover bolted to the big stone, as a marker of their "new home" which Li Zan the architect might have built in a way to remind of his dad's home close to a tall and real olive tree so silvery that it looks white, in dreams ? The leaves on this end footage do look like real olive tree ones, silvery green rather than white. (Moving on, now...)
This is such a warm and comprehensive review! Thank you for penning it !
I agree with almost everything, including the quibble about the unrealistic moments like in the aftermath of the umbrella incident and the modern hospital with not very competent doctors (that's one thing that audiences might react to, in China, as well). The choice to use English speech at times was probably decided to enhance the "foreignness" of setting and the "mixed nationalities" bunch of volunteers, but did not go well with some English speakers who reproached the production for not hiring true English speakers! But the show was not designed with English speakers as a prime target audience. The world building, with construction of a real town and use of some real artifacts instead of just using CGI, was awesome. And almost everyone in cast was memorable (except the journalists from the meeting in Happo, and the annoying busybody trash reporter who annoyed Song Ran and Li Zan dating, later) Even the children stand out, some of whom could have been better credited (but there were many non professional kids and others from the shooting area, who were involved, including the old woman who sold the seeds on the market).
I went back to look for the picture of the sculpted car in the backyard of Li Zan's father ep.38 42:22, which was a nice wink to the scene of the "mirage" on the mountain. Just before that glimpse, there was footage from a bus driving Sia and the orphans together with Shen Bei and blue eyed puppy Zan along the winding mountain road, ep.38, 42:13 timestamp (this must have been filmed at the time of the first sighting of the mirage, in reality, although Shen Bei leafing through the book is a clue that it is "later" in the story) The children excitedly looked out from the bus, to the sky where the white olive tree grove reappeared. It followed seamlessly the scene of the postcard sent to Jiang Yu after he received his copy of the book, where Li Zan wished the young man to be able to "come and see this beautiful world".
Was it only the dad's fantasy? It sure marks the moment when realism blends in with fantasizing and dream images to allow audience to interpret the end as they feel best fits, with no hurtful images any longer, but a feeling of life and restored peace moving along into a future "dreaming about the things that we could be".
On the other hand, I did no find the scene of "corporeal" Li Zan and Song Ran AFTER the end credits, although I checked two platforms including iQiyi official one. Did you find that elsewhere?
About the OST and subtitling: I liked the music which was good, as expected from "master composer" Chen Xueran and his wife who penned most of the lyrics. The 12 songs add sound color to many scenes, and on my app, the lyrics did not distract or interfere much with dialogue subtitles in English translation or Chinese original on my large computer screen. Because I was curious about original names of some characters, and sometimes wanted to check some translations, I used the option to switch between language options for subtitles on iQiyi : that was quite convenient.
Warts and all, I was even more generous than you were about rating, because this drama really grabbed my attention, even to spending perhaps overmuch time on my Companion piece in discussions. But I hope that "piece" will also be useful for those who dive in next, or want to refresh some memories. I think the drama can be on a re-watch list; I did already go back to several chosen episodes.
I linked your deep felt review to the Companion piece, Reviews subsection, together with a selection of other ones which cover also a comparison with the novel ;)
Chinese authorities (like most governments for that matter) do not approve suicide, so that was something that must have been discussed out of the way to get approval to air. Death in itself is a natural event and can result from many other things indeed although many wish for a long life first, and a less painful transition in old age, instead of being blown up by a bomb, knifing, or victims in a plane or road crash... We are not shown the corpses or dying throes of the leads in this drama, but a rather dreamy-like ghostly vanishing of the young, whole, and contented pair, that could be their fantasy, or whatever audience decide to believe.
Watch it for yourself and make your own decisions. Just a word of warning if you have anxiety or PTSD or anything…
Wishing you well and better :) Here is a nice rock song I just stumbled upon while listening to some "screaming" I am "addicted" to since last century, thought I'd share if you never listened : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd0GEy5nl3A I's rather cathartic.
Some Chen Xueran songs are cathartic too. I put 2 representative (well known) ones I like after the 12 song OST description with links, in the Companion piece. I also linked the "Between" song under Taylor Fugit with whom CXR sang "Ignite Me On Fire". + different vibes Liang Jie singing and playing "Moonlight Dance".
-- Having a musical pause and a cup of breakfast black sesame and cereals (no more yuanxiao left, sigh) before returning to my busy day and the next drama I'm watching ;)
"Marcus S" will be off to M'sia with his growing family, but I hope he will announce whatever standing TWOT was computed at for past week. I expect it should be in the top 6, according to the data for Feb16 which I added in the Companion piece. Douban is slow on this one, but TWOT is polarizing between those who liked and related and those who keep denigrating, a tiring bunch but they manage to scare off people more effectively than the difficult themes and "disappointment" from those who expected large scale military operations or torrid love scenes and betrayal games like a modern version of Love In Flames Of War.
Nothing much. She is still a doctor in Eastern Country. Last scene we see her in the bar alone after the war ended
Right. ninidolphin wanted to know "what happened"; you believed that meant "a general idea if Pei is fine" although you wrote about where she was in the last scene with her. That is the one scene where I think she had abandoned hope of anything else than toiling on as a professional doctor. She was in the bar not for simple relaxation but because of B. and what he left for her, so It was not a random filler neutral scene and to me, it looked like she was not that fine, but bottling her problems up in both senses of the phrase. We seem to see things differently, but that's fine : anybody can have their own thoughts and freely share them. That's what the comments are for... -- Did you mean you know about a rule here for what is allowed to be written under spoilers which specifically were asked for, and that I somehow annoyed you for transgressing it through offering another reply that did not go along your lines?
it's somehow open ended, the pictures can be interpreted differently, so some may hope they did not... immediately at least. We don't know how long time went by after "February 2019" when they travelled back to their home country and chosen or blood family members. After all, there's only one certainty in life : it will eventually end in death.
Nothing much. She is still a doctor in Eastern Country. Last scene we see her in the bar alone after the war ended
Not exactly alone, she refuses to socialize with a guy who offers a drink to start to get closer : she has totally given up on the hope to find "a good man". She had been "burned" in the past and suffered from "avoidance" symptoms ever since, although he had slightly let down her guard around B. So his death made her relapse into her own form for depression, seeking solace in alcohol.
You know what that's why miltary men undergo mental evaluation before deployment and also the psychiatrist in…
even then, there are many accounts of Vietnam war or other war veterans being discharged to "civil life" with PTSD. But this war was more depicted as a civil war with rebel forces perhaps infiltrated by ruthless agent provocateurs like "Ark" from abroad for destabilization, and brainwashed terrorists with no heed for human lives like "Abu". This is what many countries deal with now, and even training and evaluating cannot preclude the risks of physical (mutilation) and mental wounds for anyone. Psychiatry is not miraculous ; some patients never emerge from the "cuckoo's nest" and can remain a danger, like unexploded bombs or landmines from past century, to society. The answer to the most severe cases was at one time physical mutilation : lobotomy, but since human rights defenders rose up after the publication of Clockwork Orange, only chemical barriers are allowed in many countries, since a mass murderer can be judged as not responsible for his or her acts... The transformation from "benevolent and detached minded" volunteer to violence in reactions from a sufferer faced with triggers was well depicted in the umbrella incident, as was the reaction by the bystanders.
Watch it for yourself and make your own decisions. Just a word of warning if you have anxiety or PTSD or anything…
Warnings for the easily triggered. Yes, but it still is a good drama. You wrote you suffered yourself from PTSD and depression, Enigma05, but you stayed on ?
Haven't watched the drama yet. Did they both die as they did in the novel?
No... You may think they lived on till old age as they hoped they would, or that they died one way or another not specified and remained whole and young in their common afterlife until their atoms vanished into the air.
the main couple run away..ML has mental,issue... FL take care him...they live together...In the novel they got…
well after many years anybody dies, one way or another... In the novel the author wrote it as tragic endings remembered by their children in forewords or epilogue. In the drama, the production wanted a lighter note, less blunt.
Here my interpretation. 🍂 In the final episode, the actress tells Azan that she does not want him to save her.…
I think the white olive tree is not in the backyard. Olive trees don't grow fast. Li Zan and Song Ran eloped somewhere undisclosed to a place with an olive tree that reminded them of their past story, but went further "away from the world", which is why the pictures of them with the white olive tree are ghostly. We will not know exactly how, but they will stay "forever together". It is the fantasy they left readers and watchers with as goodbye before a "future reunion", probably on "another plane of existence" after the atoms of the physical bodies disperse, to stay and circle the Earth, and recombine differently : this is the non religious view from science about the afterlife.
The marriage part was real. It happened just before they decided to go away together, soothing their families with the letter. Li Zan has two missing fingers on his hand holding the wine glass and serving a shrimp to Song Ran. (Although one picture missed it so it looks like he has a whole hand, before - but we may think this is when fantasizing about their future started, as a symbol that they would be whole again physically and mentally).
The fantasizing starts in earnest after timestamp 36:47 episode 38, where Li Zan is seen from above looking down at the tiny sapling emerging from the circle delineated with stones in the backyard. The writing their pledge to elope on whole hands is perhaps a fantasy (although only one hand, the right one, was mutilated and he wrote on his left palm if I am not mistaken?)
The book is real, Song Ran said she had retitled the book about the East Country which she had been writing, to be published by Mr Luo the editor, seen a couple of times after episode 18 where she decided to rewrite her first draft. Presumably, she would have drawn on Li Zan's journal notes, and make it into a testament to be sent to their real and chosen family members first.
with more info, among which - an expanded Music section with a Gif of Liang Jie singing and performing the Moonlight Dance song, - completing the notable character gallery, by order of appearance with the names and micro bio of actors and actresses including a short list with links of the OST sung by Liang Jie, and a link to my Chen Zheyuan ongoing Profile (latest updates there are for the illustrations of upcoming dramas) - pictures and Gif for the PTSD and depression parts and explanations - a subsection about the olive tree symbolism - pictures and Gif for the Ending (those who prefer to avoid spoilers should wait to go there although I tried not to be explicit about the expected sad parts, keeping pictures only of "memorials and memories" without giving the names of the "fallen" (you will find them by clicking on the pictures which link to more). - I checked the link for the novel which can be read by those who would like to compare, now.
Although the main information there is now completed, I may keep adding more in the last section 7 about interviews and livestreams that have been subtitled, about the Benjamin/Sasin strong brothers of choice relationship. Perhaps I shall add a list of more resources on the Net for those who would like to explore the copious threads about the drama there. Of course I will keep adding the info about the standing of the drama in section 6 Such as this week's standing in top ten when it is announced ,and Douban rating when it is published. A lot of new dramas have been vying for top spots ; these are easier and less angsty than this unusually deep themed drama, so I don't expect The White Olive Tree to stay on top weekly spot for pure entertainment, but it may perhaps linger still for a while among the top ten. It would deserve it !
2 
5 
1 
1 
1 
Forever Star - 张洢豪 (Zhang Yihao) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wL9ByL4mf8
Forever Star - 张洢豪 (Zhang Yihao) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wL9ByL4mf8
Of course, why not view it as a reality, just not in the backyard but another place in the mountain, and the (I think earthenware rather than wood) statuette of the Landrover bolted to the big stone, as a marker of their "new home" which Li Zan the architect might have built in a way to remind of his dad's home close to a tall and real olive tree so silvery that it looks white, in dreams ? The leaves on this end footage do look like real olive tree ones, silvery green rather than white.
(Moving on, now...)
I agree with almost everything, including the quibble about the unrealistic moments like in the aftermath of the umbrella incident and the modern hospital with not very competent doctors (that's one thing that audiences might react to, in China, as well). The choice to use English speech at times was probably decided to enhance the "foreignness" of setting and the "mixed nationalities" bunch of volunteers, but did not go well with some English speakers who reproached the production for not hiring true English speakers! But the show was not designed with English speakers as a prime target audience. The world building, with construction of a real town and use of some real artifacts instead of just using CGI, was awesome. And almost everyone in cast was memorable (except the journalists from the meeting in Happo, and the annoying busybody trash reporter who annoyed Song Ran and Li Zan dating, later) Even the children stand out, some of whom could have been better credited (but there were many non professional kids and others from the shooting area, who were involved, including the old woman who sold the seeds on the market).
I went back to look for the picture of the sculpted car in the backyard of Li Zan's father ep.38 42:22, which was a nice wink to the scene of the "mirage" on the mountain. Just before that glimpse, there was footage from a bus driving Sia and the orphans together with Shen Bei and blue eyed puppy Zan along the winding mountain road, ep.38, 42:13 timestamp (this must have been filmed at the time of the first sighting of the mirage, in reality, although Shen Bei leafing through the book is a clue that it is "later" in the story) The children excitedly looked out from the bus, to the sky where the white olive tree grove reappeared. It followed seamlessly the scene of the postcard sent to Jiang Yu after he received his copy of the book, where Li Zan wished the young man to be able to "come and see this beautiful world".
Was it only the dad's fantasy? It sure marks the moment when realism blends in with fantasizing and dream images to allow audience to interpret the end as they feel best fits, with no hurtful images any longer, but a feeling of life and restored peace moving along into a future "dreaming about the things that we could be".
On the other hand, I did no find the scene of "corporeal" Li Zan and Song Ran AFTER the end credits, although I checked two platforms including iQiyi official one. Did you find that elsewhere?
About the OST and subtitling: I liked the music which was good, as expected from "master composer" Chen Xueran and his wife who penned most of the lyrics. The 12 songs add sound color to many scenes, and on my app, the lyrics did not distract or interfere much with dialogue subtitles in English translation or Chinese original on my large computer screen. Because I was curious about original names of some characters, and sometimes wanted to check some translations, I used the option to switch between language options for subtitles on iQiyi : that was quite convenient.
Warts and all, I was even more generous than you were about rating, because this drama really grabbed my attention, even to spending perhaps overmuch time on my Companion piece in discussions. But I hope that "piece" will also be useful for those who dive in next, or want to refresh some memories. I think the drama can be on a re-watch list; I did already go back to several chosen episodes.
I linked your deep felt review to the Companion piece, Reviews subsection, together with a selection of other ones which cover also a comparison with the novel ;)
We are not shown the corpses or dying throes of the leads in this drama, but a rather dreamy-like ghostly vanishing of the young, whole, and contented pair, that could be their fantasy, or whatever audience decide to believe.
Here is a nice rock song I just stumbled upon while listening to some "screaming" I am "addicted" to since last century, thought I'd share if you never listened : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd0GEy5nl3A
I's rather cathartic.
Some Chen Xueran songs are cathartic too. I put 2 representative (well known) ones I like after the 12 song OST description with links, in the Companion piece. I also linked the "Between" song under Taylor Fugit with whom CXR sang "Ignite Me On Fire".
+ different vibes Liang Jie singing and playing "Moonlight Dance".
-- Having a musical pause and a cup of breakfast black sesame and cereals (no more yuanxiao left, sigh) before returning to my busy day and the next drama I'm watching ;)
"Marcus S" will be off to M'sia with his growing family, but I hope he will announce whatever standing TWOT was computed at for past week. I expect it should be in the top 6, according to the data for Feb16 which I added in the Companion piece.
Douban is slow on this one, but TWOT is polarizing between those who liked and related and those who keep denigrating, a tiring bunch but they manage to scare off people more effectively than the difficult themes and "disappointment" from those who expected large scale military operations or torrid love scenes and betrayal games like a modern version of Love In Flames Of War.
That is the one scene where I think she had abandoned hope of anything else than toiling on as a professional doctor. She was in the bar not for simple relaxation but because of B. and what he left for her, so It was not a random filler neutral scene and to me, it looked like she was not that fine, but bottling her problems up in both senses of the phrase.
We seem to see things differently, but that's fine : anybody can have their own thoughts and freely share them. That's what the comments are for...
-- Did you mean you know about a rule here for what is allowed to be written under spoilers which specifically were asked for, and that I somehow annoyed you for transgressing it through offering another reply that did not go along your lines?
After all, there's only one certainty in life : it will eventually end in death.
But this war was more depicted as a civil war with rebel forces perhaps infiltrated by ruthless agent provocateurs like "Ark" from abroad for destabilization, and brainwashed terrorists with no heed for human lives like "Abu". This is what many countries deal with now, and even training and evaluating cannot preclude the risks of physical (mutilation) and mental wounds for anyone.
Psychiatry is not miraculous ; some patients never emerge from the "cuckoo's nest" and can remain a danger, like unexploded bombs or landmines from past century, to society. The answer to the most severe cases was at one time physical mutilation : lobotomy, but since human rights defenders rose up after the publication of Clockwork Orange, only chemical barriers are allowed in many countries, since a mass murderer can be judged as not responsible for his or her acts...
The transformation from "benevolent and detached minded" volunteer to violence in reactions from a sufferer faced with triggers was well depicted in the umbrella incident, as was the reaction by the bystanders.
In the novel the author wrote it as tragic endings remembered by their children in forewords or epilogue.
In the drama, the production wanted a lighter note, less blunt.
I linked it to the book cover picture on my Companion piece, updating that link today with the S K link
https://mydramalist.com/discussions/bai-se-gan-lan-shu/123595-shooting-location-cast-and-crew-and-more?pid=3244724&page=1#p3244724
Li Zan and Song Ran eloped somewhere undisclosed to a place with an olive tree that reminded them of their past story, but went further "away from the world", which is why the pictures of them with the white olive tree are ghostly. We will not know exactly how, but they will stay "forever together". It is the fantasy they left readers and watchers with as goodbye before a "future reunion", probably on "another plane of existence" after the atoms of the physical bodies disperse, to stay and circle the Earth, and recombine differently : this is the non religious view from science about the afterlife.
The marriage part was real. It happened just before they decided to go away together, soothing their families with the letter. Li Zan has two missing fingers on his hand holding the wine glass and serving a shrimp to Song Ran. (Although one picture missed it so it looks like he has a whole hand, before - but we may think this is when fantasizing about their future started, as a symbol that they would be whole again physically and mentally).
The fantasizing starts in earnest after timestamp 36:47 episode 38, where Li Zan is seen from above looking down at the tiny sapling emerging from the circle delineated with stones in the backyard. The writing their pledge to elope on whole hands is perhaps a fantasy (although only one hand, the right one, was mutilated and he wrote on his left palm if I am not mistaken?)
The book is real, Song Ran said she had retitled the book about the East Country which she had been writing, to be published by Mr Luo the editor, seen a couple of times after episode 18 where she decided to rewrite her first draft. Presumably, she would have drawn on Li Zan's journal notes, and make it into a testament to be sent to their real and chosen family members first.
I have also near completed the Companion piece,
https://mydramalist.com/discussions/bai-se-gan-lan-shu/123595-shooting-location-cast-and-crew-and-more
with more info, among which
- an expanded Music section with a Gif of Liang Jie singing and performing the Moonlight Dance song,
- completing the notable character gallery, by order of appearance with the names and micro bio of actors and actresses including a short list with links of the OST sung by Liang Jie, and a link to my Chen Zheyuan ongoing Profile (latest updates there are for the illustrations of upcoming dramas)
- pictures and Gif for the PTSD and depression parts and explanations
- a subsection about the olive tree symbolism
- pictures and Gif for the Ending (those who prefer to avoid spoilers should wait to go there although I tried not to be explicit about the expected sad parts, keeping pictures only of "memorials and memories" without giving the names of the "fallen" (you will find them by clicking on the pictures which link to more).
- I checked the link for the novel which can be read by those who would like to compare, now.
Although the main information there is now completed, I may keep adding more in the last section 7 about interviews and livestreams that have been subtitled, about the Benjamin/Sasin strong brothers of choice relationship. Perhaps I shall add a list of more resources on the Net for those who would like to explore the copious threads about the drama there.
Of course I will keep adding the info about the standing of the drama in section 6 Such as this week's standing in top ten when it is announced ,and Douban rating when it is published. A lot of new dramas have been vying for top spots ; these are easier and less angsty than this unusually deep themed drama, so I don't expect The White Olive Tree to stay on top weekly spot for pure entertainment, but it may perhaps linger still for a while among the top ten. It would deserve it !