Msfi

I went to a business dinner in China. So many toasts, some in the room got very tipsy. It is fine to toast with water or juice, but whatever you choose be consistent. Don’t choose the baiju!

Deserved!

But Ran is not, right?

This was a beautiful show, with a lot of depth over the whole series. As someone who comes from a family that worked hard to access education, the struggles in this show and the joys when that goal was achieved really resonated. Plus the depth of characters throughout, the sweetness and joy of the main couple, the second couple's maturity and struggles with family, and the third couple's tribulations. Worth watching. Is it true to the hardships of that era itself? No, but there's no way that would be filmed, so but as a period piece amid such compromises it works.

I watched it in the cinema in Australia. A super interesting theme around AI, which would have been good to expand further. The crisis on a spaceship stuff has been done endlessly but it looked great. I loved the comment about the villain which completely spun my perception of what the director was trying to do there. Overall, well worth watching! Also I’m laughing because I unintentionally picked seat F4 in the cinema. How far Dylan has come! The whole cast was great

The real Chinatown in Bangkok is a vaguely similar vibe but in the show it’s obviously a set

Thank you very much for taking the time to write such a detailed and thorough response. It is important for me as a viewer to always remember these stories, while I enjoy them greatly, are not made for me and there is a great debt of history and culture behind them that I can only scratch the surface to appreciate. Speaking of Australia, as a school child we were taken to visit an old prison where hangings were carried out so yes indeed, it is not that far in the past in many places. I think I will need to watch the final episode again.

I almost don't know what to say after finishing GOTD. This drama accompanied me on holiday travels across the world from Europe to China and back to my home country. It was great fun being in Beijing for part of the time while the show was airing and seeing other people watching clips or episodes too. At the end of 2024 GOTD began so funny and lighthearted and then this year became very dark and intense. It didn't always make sense and there was a lot going on, but I enjoyed the ride for the most part. It was not always an easy watch. I found the end very, very heavy and difficult to process. Despite all that had happened in Chuzhou, I kept questioning, can we really accept the way Xu Qi'an acted was justified and righteous? What is justice? Of course we are dealing with a time (roughly speaking, forgetting the fantasy elements) when horrific violence was the way of delivering justice. I wonder if that is why Yang Ling was so stunned at the end. I hope we get to see more of this story. You know it's a good story when it stays with you.

GAI

Yeah I would hesitate to recommend to people that aren’t regular Cdrama watchers until someone writes a detailed explainer. There is a lot going on. Love it so far!

Up to episode 4, really enjoying the world building, humour, and styling. The Dylan Easter eggs are hilarious!

However it happened to get him into the role instead of Chen Feiyu, it was such a great choice. He is nailing it. Amazing.

So beautiful! A gorgeous concept.

lol 😂

Gosh. So fun so far. I loved Moonlight, so it's wonderful to see three of the actors reunited.

I like the realistic approach so far.

I'm really enjoying a show set in a city I know well for once! Makes Helsinki look beautiful and cozy, even in such cold temperatures. Nice to see Cdramas returning to some overseas filming post-pandemic. Scenery aside, it's a very sweet story, a good palette cleanser from some heavier stuff.

I admit I watched this because of the hype but loved and cried because of the small, tiny moments. Lots of melodramatic drama for sure and some was too much, but as someone who has been married a long time it was the most minuscule of memories and observations that were so touching and made this drama stand out.

WeTV

The central theme of a mother finding purpose beyond her adult children is what makes this show. And to a certain extent, her family learning to see and help her to overcome depression. Yes there were some outlandish plotlines and ridiculous behaviour but it is a TV drama after all. A gem of a show.