There’s beauty in the mess
I genuinely think this is one of the best C-dramas of the year. It’s far from perfect, and some of the writing choices left me scratching my head at times, but it has such a strong identity and such a distinct atmosphere that it really stands out from a lot of what’s being released these days.
And honestly, forget the fluffy romances and idealized love stories. This drama is much more grounded. It’s about real life, with all its harshness, ugliness, and imperfections.
What struck me first was the production and just how immersive it feels. The recreation of 1990s China is incredibly detailed: the clothes, flip phones, DVD players, old buildings, markets… But beyond the period setting, what I especially loved was the way the drama portrays such a simple, ordinary, lived-in everyday life. The scrapyard, the small, messy apartment, the worn-out objects, the outdated interiors… nothing is idealized. Everything looks used and lived in, and that’s exactly what gives the drama such a familiar, authentic, and nostalgic atmosphere.
As for the story, we follow two kids who are neglected and mistreated by their parents and who gradually end up forming their own kind of family, while carrying their own trauma and emotional baggage. And I think this is one of the drama’s biggest strengths: the way it approaches the idea of family. It shows that home isn’t necessarily a house, but the people around whom you feel like you belong.
The drama also handles the idea of survival really well, whether it comes from the environment, trauma, or abandonment. Add the corruption/thriller aspect to that, and you get an unexpectedly gripping story. The first half in particular was very well constructed. The different pieces slowly came together, the stakes were introduced naturally, and the drama managed to maintain genuine tension without constantly trying to one-up itself. I was genuinely hooked.
The second half is where I started noticing the cracks a little more. It’s still interesting, but the narrative loses some of the direction it had in the beginning. Things become more scattered and occasionally repetitive, and the intensity drops a bit. There were moments when it felt like the story was jumping from one thing to another without really finding its way back to the main thread. I also wish we’d gotten more meaningful flashbacks to flesh out certain situations or give more context to what was happening in the present. Honestly, cutting 3–4 episodes probably would have made the second half much tighter and helped preserve the tension from the beginning.
That said, I didn’t think the pacing was bad overall. It was mostly toward the end that I started feeling the drag, like they were stretching things out a little. And I guess it also depends on how interested you are in their professional lives. Personally, I was flying through the episodes at the beginning.
Now, the couple. I really loved the mutual support between them, especially Chen Yi’s protective side. Their relationship feels incredibly natural, without all the overly sweet dialogue and typical romance clichés. Their conversations are often simple, sometimes even mundane, but they can suddenly become surprisingly intense. What starts as resentment and anger gradually turns into something much deeper: they become partners, learn to trust and protect each other, and eventually become a couple. I really liked that progression because their relationship is built on shared experiences, trust, and mutual support rather than grand romantic declarations.
That said, they’re definitely not a perfect couple. Miao Jing frustrated me quite a few times. I understand her wounds and her need to be loved as an equal, without Chen Yi’s sacrifices becoming the thing that defines their relationship. But ironically, some of her reactions sometimes create the exact imbalance she’s trying to avoid. There are moments when she uses the emotional influence she has over Chen Yi to push him away or hurt him, and I found that uncomfortable at times. It also made it harder for me to fully root for them.
Which is why I really wanted more from their relationship in the second half. They both have so much trauma and so many unresolved issues, and there was honestly a lot of potential there. I wanted more confrontations, more self-reflection, and more genuine conversations about what they were both carrying. Unfortunately, I felt like their relationship became somewhat stagnant later on. Their chemistry is still nice to watch, but the dynamic doesn’t evolve nearly as much, and the drama doesn’t fully explore the potential it had set up. I would have loved to see them confront their wounds more directly and learn how to build a healthier, more balanced relationship together.
The supporting characters also felt less developed in the second half. I liked them much more in the beginning, while later on, some of them became a little forgettable. Tuli was definitely an exception because she really touched me, and I also really liked the police officer.
The young actors, though, seriously impressed me. Their performances are remarkably convincing for their age, and the range of emotions they manage to convey is honestly impressive. I think they played a huge part in making us feel so attached to these characters and genuinely care about what happens to them.
The emotional side of the drama is actually one of its biggest strengths. There’s so much restraint in the way emotions are portrayed: the silences, the looks, the small gestures, and all those little details. Nothing is constantly spelled out for us or exaggerated just to make sure we understand what we’re supposed to feel. The emotions are simply there, and that makes them feel much more genuine. The actors did an amazing job, and Song Weilong especially really blew me away in this role.
I also loved the direction. The cold tones, the framing, and the way the camera manages to feel both harsh and intimate really stood out to me. Nothing is artificially beautified. The camera stays close to the characters, but it also knows when to linger and when to step back and let a scene breathe.
And the OSTs… what a freaking hit. They fit the drama perfectly and genuinely gave me chills. My favorites are “Into the Wild” by Fan Kaijie and “Wander” by Lars Huang.
Overall, despite its flaws, I really don’t regret watching this drama. I had a great time with it, and it pulled me in enough that I became genuinely invested in the characters and their story. It’s just a shame that the writing didn’t always live up to everything the drama had set up, because I honestly think it could have been something even more polished and memorable.
What I appreciate most is that it never tries to make reality prettier or more glamorous than it actually is. It embraces the rough edges, the ugliness, and the imperfections. And I think that’s where a lot of its beauty comes from: the restraint, simplicity, and authenticity. That kind of approach feels genuinely refreshing compared to so many productions nowadays that are flashy, polished, and almost too focused on looking spectacular.
☆ My Summary rating:
• Script (30%) - [ 6.8 ] :
- Narrative Structure (30%): 6
- Development (25%): 7.5
- Consistency (20%): 7
- Predictability (10%): 6
- Dialogue (10%): 10
- Originality (5%): 8
• Acting (25%) - [ 9.2 ] :
- Individual performances (30%): 10
- Emotional delivery (25%): 9
- Chemistry (20%): 8.5
- Consistency (15%) : 10
- Supporting characters (10%): 7.5
• Execution (20%) - [ 9.5 ]:
- Direction (35%): 10
- Cinematography (25%): 10
- Editing (15%): 7
- Production design (15%): 10
- OST (10%): 10
• Pacing (15%): [ 7 ]
• Enjoyment (10%): [ 8 ]
°•《 Overall: 8.1 》 •°
And honestly, forget the fluffy romances and idealized love stories. This drama is much more grounded. It’s about real life, with all its harshness, ugliness, and imperfections.
What struck me first was the production and just how immersive it feels. The recreation of 1990s China is incredibly detailed: the clothes, flip phones, DVD players, old buildings, markets… But beyond the period setting, what I especially loved was the way the drama portrays such a simple, ordinary, lived-in everyday life. The scrapyard, the small, messy apartment, the worn-out objects, the outdated interiors… nothing is idealized. Everything looks used and lived in, and that’s exactly what gives the drama such a familiar, authentic, and nostalgic atmosphere.
As for the story, we follow two kids who are neglected and mistreated by their parents and who gradually end up forming their own kind of family, while carrying their own trauma and emotional baggage. And I think this is one of the drama’s biggest strengths: the way it approaches the idea of family. It shows that home isn’t necessarily a house, but the people around whom you feel like you belong.
The drama also handles the idea of survival really well, whether it comes from the environment, trauma, or abandonment. Add the corruption/thriller aspect to that, and you get an unexpectedly gripping story. The first half in particular was very well constructed. The different pieces slowly came together, the stakes were introduced naturally, and the drama managed to maintain genuine tension without constantly trying to one-up itself. I was genuinely hooked.
The second half is where I started noticing the cracks a little more. It’s still interesting, but the narrative loses some of the direction it had in the beginning. Things become more scattered and occasionally repetitive, and the intensity drops a bit. There were moments when it felt like the story was jumping from one thing to another without really finding its way back to the main thread. I also wish we’d gotten more meaningful flashbacks to flesh out certain situations or give more context to what was happening in the present. Honestly, cutting 3–4 episodes probably would have made the second half much tighter and helped preserve the tension from the beginning.
That said, I didn’t think the pacing was bad overall. It was mostly toward the end that I started feeling the drag, like they were stretching things out a little. And I guess it also depends on how interested you are in their professional lives. Personally, I was flying through the episodes at the beginning.
Now, the couple. I really loved the mutual support between them, especially Chen Yi’s protective side. Their relationship feels incredibly natural, without all the overly sweet dialogue and typical romance clichés. Their conversations are often simple, sometimes even mundane, but they can suddenly become surprisingly intense. What starts as resentment and anger gradually turns into something much deeper: they become partners, learn to trust and protect each other, and eventually become a couple. I really liked that progression because their relationship is built on shared experiences, trust, and mutual support rather than grand romantic declarations.
That said, they’re definitely not a perfect couple. Miao Jing frustrated me quite a few times. I understand her wounds and her need to be loved as an equal, without Chen Yi’s sacrifices becoming the thing that defines their relationship. But ironically, some of her reactions sometimes create the exact imbalance she’s trying to avoid. There are moments when she uses the emotional influence she has over Chen Yi to push him away or hurt him, and I found that uncomfortable at times. It also made it harder for me to fully root for them.
Which is why I really wanted more from their relationship in the second half. They both have so much trauma and so many unresolved issues, and there was honestly a lot of potential there. I wanted more confrontations, more self-reflection, and more genuine conversations about what they were both carrying. Unfortunately, I felt like their relationship became somewhat stagnant later on. Their chemistry is still nice to watch, but the dynamic doesn’t evolve nearly as much, and the drama doesn’t fully explore the potential it had set up. I would have loved to see them confront their wounds more directly and learn how to build a healthier, more balanced relationship together.
The supporting characters also felt less developed in the second half. I liked them much more in the beginning, while later on, some of them became a little forgettable. Tuli was definitely an exception because she really touched me, and I also really liked the police officer.
The young actors, though, seriously impressed me. Their performances are remarkably convincing for their age, and the range of emotions they manage to convey is honestly impressive. I think they played a huge part in making us feel so attached to these characters and genuinely care about what happens to them.
The emotional side of the drama is actually one of its biggest strengths. There’s so much restraint in the way emotions are portrayed: the silences, the looks, the small gestures, and all those little details. Nothing is constantly spelled out for us or exaggerated just to make sure we understand what we’re supposed to feel. The emotions are simply there, and that makes them feel much more genuine. The actors did an amazing job, and Song Weilong especially really blew me away in this role.
I also loved the direction. The cold tones, the framing, and the way the camera manages to feel both harsh and intimate really stood out to me. Nothing is artificially beautified. The camera stays close to the characters, but it also knows when to linger and when to step back and let a scene breathe.
And the OSTs… what a freaking hit. They fit the drama perfectly and genuinely gave me chills. My favorites are “Into the Wild” by Fan Kaijie and “Wander” by Lars Huang.
Overall, despite its flaws, I really don’t regret watching this drama. I had a great time with it, and it pulled me in enough that I became genuinely invested in the characters and their story. It’s just a shame that the writing didn’t always live up to everything the drama had set up, because I honestly think it could have been something even more polished and memorable.
What I appreciate most is that it never tries to make reality prettier or more glamorous than it actually is. It embraces the rough edges, the ugliness, and the imperfections. And I think that’s where a lot of its beauty comes from: the restraint, simplicity, and authenticity. That kind of approach feels genuinely refreshing compared to so many productions nowadays that are flashy, polished, and almost too focused on looking spectacular.
☆ My Summary rating:
• Script (30%) - [ 6.8 ] :
- Narrative Structure (30%): 6
- Development (25%): 7.5
- Consistency (20%): 7
- Predictability (10%): 6
- Dialogue (10%): 10
- Originality (5%): 8
• Acting (25%) - [ 9.2 ] :
- Individual performances (30%): 10
- Emotional delivery (25%): 9
- Chemistry (20%): 8.5
- Consistency (15%) : 10
- Supporting characters (10%): 7.5
• Execution (20%) - [ 9.5 ]:
- Direction (35%): 10
- Cinematography (25%): 10
- Editing (15%): 7
- Production design (15%): 10
- OST (10%): 10
• Pacing (15%): [ 7 ]
• Enjoyment (10%): [ 8 ]
°•《 Overall: 8.1 》 •°
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