I was waiting for this, considering how it was the first collaboration between Wallace and Qiao Zhen Yu. Yes, surprisingly, it was their first time collaborating in a drama. How was it? Mixed feelings. It was inevitable. Since it would be unrealistic to like every single aspect of the story. However, the acting was top-notch. It was worth it ever step of the way, even if the plot details got frustrating at times.
Main Cast:
- Wallace Huo (霍建華) as Ma Wei Guo (馬衛國) / Martin. Seriously, his name was cliche to death but I forgave them because it wasn’t like I can do anything anyway. But getting past that, his intro scene was seriously crazy. Well, if one was superstitious, they wouldn’t like it. But he was really chancing fate with it. He was going to die anyway, so he thought he would be as prepared as possible with all the details of the ceremony and all. But on a serious note, his character had a typical story with working up from scratch in a foreign land to become a CEO. He had a lot of pride in his achievements and rightly so. But somehow along the way, he had become one of those backstabbing assholes who he had dealt with. That was one of the reasons why he had many enemies. But that was just a surface story. Yes, another typical move to look into his world as the story moved along. He was just tossing back what the others dealt his way and saw no problem with his technique. However, deep down, he cared a lot more than he was willing to admit. A phone called from an old friend brought him back home and revisited some of the old feelings. The mixture of resentment and stubbornness made it hard to reconcile with his childhood friends. But he wasn’t completely wrong in his belief, he just used the wrong approaches. He was good with what he did regarding business matters but regarding the human relations, he still had a lot to learn, even after all these years. This was one of those times Wallace got to portray a semi-humorous role. Because of his serious look, it was hard to find a comedic role in the past. (True story, it was in one of the old interviews with how people not convinced with him being in a comedy although he would love to participate more in those. Shi Yi Lang was one of those rare ones he was all out goofy and given a chance at comedy.) As always, he delivered.
- Zhou Yi Ge (周弋格) as Young Ma Wei Guo (少年馬衛國).
- Tian Yu (田雨) as Wang Chun Sheng (王春生). Ma Wei Guo’s cousin. He was a mixture of laid-back and seriousness. Well, when it mattered, he showed up for people, regardless if they were his own family or people in his town in general. He was quite righteous and that had gotten him into trouble more than once. Yet, that was something he was proud of. His righteousness had helped a lot of people and they appreciated him for it. Even if the townspeople were gossipy at times, but they were good small town people in general. The downside of living in such a small environment, he got too comfortable with his arrangement and had lost touch with his artistic side. That was one of the challenges he had to face, trying to find the motivation to gain his talent again. I actually quite liked Tian Yu as an actor after watching Sunshine By My Side yet had mix feelings for his role regarding what happened. This one, I could enjoy it fully without feeling guilty. Was he perfect? No. But he was realistic in a sense with having a dream while growing up, facing changes that he must adapt to and accept, and much more.
- Feng Jun Jie (冯俊杰) as Young Wang Chun Sheng (少年王春生).
- Sophie Zhang (张雪迎) as Jin Tong (金彤). Li Lian Bao’s niece who recently returned and was passionate about her photography career, wanting to blend in some old and new techniques and having a show to share the history of her cultures through her lenses. It was revealed early on that she had a run in with Martin at a bar one time and they never met again after a night of drinking and dancing. That was a strange and random bit and seemed to mock at the typical CEO storylines (especially how a writer had tried to approach that story at one point). However, as the story went on, her personalities became more established and one could see her perspective regarding life views and more.
- Qiao Zhen Yu (乔振宇) as Li Lian Bao (李连宝). Kevin kept calling him Tom BUT his hostility denied it in the past, so I wasn’t going to put it in. I didn’t care to pay attention enough to the business card stuff so didn’t see it. But anyway, his character was a mixture of hotheadedness and pride. He carried a lot on his shoulder, regarding to his family, his sworn brothers, and much more. Those were some of the reasons why he felt like he needed to prove his capabilities so much. It was hard to blame him at times BUT his hotheadedness got in the way because of how he was unwilling to compromise at other times. It was a strange combination because he wanted to succeed yet also didn’t want to cave to the others’ demands in some situations. Yes, it was helpful to have some sort of principle. But it was strange how he was willing to cut corners in some areas regarding other matters. In the end though, as typical with these types of stories, he was able to conquer that prideful side of him and let go. So, that became easier to deal with some matters that was weighing him down. Once again, Qiao Zhen Yu delivered and sometimes, I felt if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have liked the role that much.
- Feng Yi Zhe (冯奕哲) as Young Li Lian Bao (少年李连宝).
- Liu Duan Duan (刘端端) as Tong Qiu (童秋). Nicknamed Qiu Er (球兒). He seemed timid and indecisive and lacked backbone upfront. However, as Martin had said at times, he had his own strengths and capabilities. He made up for the others’ stubbornness and hotheadedness and had became the balance within the group. What was more, when it came down to it, he was willing to put his foot down. It mostly had to do with the house buying incident at the beginning. It showed that he had his own pride and didn’t want to be handed some stuff so easily like that. He wanted to earn those things based on his achievements. He also had his principles with not muddling the water like some salespersons did it. Regretfully, he got caught in one of those sticky situations and lost his job. Luckily, with the others’ backing, he finally decided to clear his name based on principle BUT didn’t return to work for them. He wanted to pursue his own endeavor and follow his father’s footstep in finishing the old man’s work and to start his own journey as a writer. I always felt like he just didn’t fit in but was forced to take the job because of life. I even thought that eventually, something would happen (and it did) and then after that, he would learn to be firmer and become one of the top team members within the office to prove to the others he could do it. But the others surprisingly allowed him to pursue another less safe occupation (as often with reality and all) and accepted that he wasn’t cut out for that job after all. Perhaps, his father’s passing had a lot to do with it, like them wanting to let go of some things and allowing him to take his own path where he could actually thrive. At first, I thought the actor was uncomfortable in the role hence not showing as much strength as the others. Because the character became all over the place at one point. But I realized that was the point of his character. He was made that way on purpose, to make a point later on regarding his strengths. So, he indeed delivered with his performance like the other three.
- Qiu En Ze (仇恩泽) as Young Tong Qiu (少年童秋).
Supporting:
- Sui Jun Bo (隋俊波) as Dong Qian (董倩). A career driven woman who wanted to build her own reputation and rise above through talents. She was proud of her work and was able to separate things from personal to professional. She was considered the most level-headed when it came to situation like that. However, might need a reminder here and there regarding her son at times. It wasn’t like she was neglectful or anything but being a single mom, she carried a lot her shoulder and had to make sure to provide the best opportunity for her son. What I liked was how she was willing to step back later and asked her son regarding stuff and really reconsider her approach. She was right to worry about her son’s future and what was out there. But she didn’t want to push too hard either, it would create the opposite effect. So, I liked her character in general, being both a career woman and was able to balance her personal life as best as she could.
- Zhang Yao (张瑶) as Li Jing (李静). Wang Chun Sheng’s wife. She was the voice of reason within the household and was the glue to keep everything together regarding family life and the restaurant they managed. On the surface, there wasn’t much about her at times and it seemed she was just there for comedic relief against her husband or son. Yet her little story arc was a nice touch because it showed that she was a very important member of the family and they shouldn’t overlook her. She was wise because of her experiences over the years. And I had to agree with her regarding life’s wild cards and you can’t plan everything. Even if I didn’t agree with her on some other stuff. Well, it would be unrealistic to like everything about a character, so there’s that.
- Xue Hao Jing (薛昊婧) as Zhang Xiao Shi (张晓诗). Tong Qiu’s wife. She was the breadwinner of the family and it created a lot of pressure and resentment for her husband. However, she kept her head high and reminded him that they had a lot of people to take care of. So, she didn’t take his BS for what it was at times. I was glad she didn’t cave regarding her principles. Other matters, I will discuss in another section. But I thought she was also someone who was able to distinguish from personal and professional matters. She knew what she wanted and knew how to get it. Yes, the grind was hard but she was willing to face the challenges. Her confidence was probably strongest point throughout. Because she believed she could have both family and career and she more than prove it with her performance and work and her straightforward approach in communicating with her husband.
- Zhu Zi Jie (祝子杰) as Wang Fei (王飞). Wang Chun Sheng and Li Jing’s son, a high school student who aspired to be a full-time live streamer. He didn’t have any motivation to advance in school, only do enough to pass by, knowing that his father’s restaurant would eventually be passed to him. He also was a natural as a live streamer who managed to bring in a lot of traffic and views so he racked in a lot of money on the side. It seemed like a typical story with a slacker making excuses with not having a real career. However, it was later revealed that he actually looked up to his father a lot and some of his father’s lack of motivation in life sort of rubbed off on him. That was why he didn’t care at times yet realized his goals later and worked harder for it.
Others:
- Wen Hai Bo (温海波) as Papa Tong (童父). Tong Qiu’s father. He was a writer and did pretty well until the trends changed and he was forced to change with the industry. However, through Martin’s urging (even if his words were beyond harsh toward an old man), he returned to his old path and decided to focus on bringing out the authenticity of it all instead of writing some cheap stories for instant views. It was the timeless road versus replaceable trends. He also cared about his son a lot and often encouraged his son on, not wanting to be a burden. He might seemed old and fragile he had some very sensible words to pass around if one was willing to listen. Martin actually learned a lot from him that he thought wasn’t possible. He was probably the sole reason for Martin having a change of heart regarding his surgery.
- Liang Dan Ni (梁丹妮) as Mama Tong (童母). Tong Qiu’s mother. She was a caring person all around, often worried for her husband and son yet she could only do so much at times.
- Li Qin Qin (李勤勤) as Ma Xiao E (马晓娥). Ma Wei Guo and Wang Chun Sheng’s aunt. She was the reason for Martin’s return after so many years. She and Martin both needed that closure between the two of them. Even if some of the details didn’t come out yet but they needed that before her passing. Based on flashbacks, she was an important person in the main four’s lives. She influenced them a lot growing up and they each respected her greatly in a different way. She was the last childhood link to them yet it had forced them to reconsider some things.
Likes:
- The collaboration between Wallace and Qiao Zhen Yu at long last. They hadn’t worked together before and I never thought I would see the day. I liked them both a lot, considering how I took the time to watch Qiao Zhen Yu’s recent dramas no matter how little he appeared. And it goes without saying that I’ve been a major fan of Wallace over the years. I just thought their worlds wouldn’t collide and how they could take on roles that linked them so closely like that. But it was really fun to watch. It was really something and worth the wait.
- Invisible makeup. Yes, I miss this era. Because I feel like it’s too unrealistic with the current trends. But whatever makes them happy, I guess. Except for like one person I could see so clearly, the other main three managed it just fine. Because they relied heavily on their acting and their looks as secondary. I meant, they already were good-looking in their own ways. So, it seemed overkilled with making them look unnaturally white for whatever reason. And if it wasn’t so, the joke that Wang Chun Sheng made at the expense of Li Lian Bao wouldn’t make sense. (The part where he said Li Lian Bao was so dark, how could he tell the difference if Li Lian Bao was hiding in the dark room as well when trying to give him the signals.)
Dislikes:
- Li Lian Bao got Dong Qian drunk on purpose that one time. I swear it looked like so. But I didn’t like it at all. Even if she acted like nothing happened the next morning BUT he was completely at fault. Even if it was done in a comedic manner. I think it was even worse that they tried to pump comedy into it. That was one of the reasons why I wasn’t completely on board with their relationship. It wasn’t their first time together. But it became manipulative that he did that. And he should have known better. If people are like she liked him anyway so why did it matter? What if she didn’t like him? If the situation was different, then what?
- Li Lian Bao’s ex-wife. I’m not going to talk about what happened that led to the divorce, etc. Because they never showed us. But she was seriously an asshole for taunting him and picking fights with him on purpose time and time again. On top of that, using their daughter as a bargain chip for situations. She even manipulated the kid into cooperating with her. It was ridiculous and senseless. Not to mention, it was very harmful to the kid. She was just treating the kid like a toy or something. So, whatever it was that happened in the past, it didn’t work out. The divorce probably helped them get out of it. Maybe, it was more productive that she moved on. Yet, she taunted him with her new wealth (which was from her new husband, not from her hard-earned money). If she wanted a rich husband, that was fine with me. She could move on with him and live her new beautiful life like she wanted. At least, she learned something about herself and knew she loved all the luxury or whatever. That was her life. Choose whatever. Why the taunting? Again, ridiculous. She acted like all the luxury would compensate for her lack of emotions. She acted like all the expensive gifts her husband gave to her kid was equal to the value of how worthy he was as a father figure or something. Because that one time how she tossed Li Lian Bao’s gift aside like it was nothing and told him to check the room (from the camera view) and see how many the kid already have. Seriously? Sure, she could want a good life for her kid and thought the other guy could provide or whatever. But it was ridiculous to teach the kid only to value money over all. It was a mean to living their lives, NOT a measurement of one’s character. Seriously. The way she was using her kid, it was almost like she was trying to reset her life through the kid, living through the kid, wanting every step to be right. Because she wanted to erase Li Lian Bao or whatever. This was why my petty ass was very happy to learn her husband lost big time in his business. It wasn’t like he was innocent in his ways either. He targeted Li Lian Bao on purpose. It was an ego contest between the two. Li Lian Bao could step back and ignore everything and try to maintain the peace for his daughter’s sake. But both of them were so arrogant that made it unbearable and frustrating. So, would she leave again? Since this new husband’s business wasn’t doing well anymore and might not be able to provider her with all the luxury? Hey, she acted like wealth was everything. So, I’m going to based it on that.
Discussions:
- The main four and their friendship/ brotherhood throughout. It was a very complicated and messy situation regarding their conflict of years. All wanted to be right and their perspective were affected by their own biases. It was hard to just say this happened and so and so because of the aftermaths. So it made sense that it took so long for them to resolve their conflicts. All were affected one way or another. Not to mention there was a tragic death, even if it was an accident. They also needed to go through some trials to finally be reunited as well. Even if the other three were on one side versus Martin, they still had their own personal battles to overcome before they could be united as a single force against others. It was a rebirth moment for them, especially the part of the roasted duck competition. Then celebration and the renewed confidence they had toward themselves and one another, planning the future together. It wasn’t just on the business front either but for their bonds going forward. They weren’t perfect but they eventually learned and grew. Not trying to justify some of their actions. It was just reality. After all their past conflict was too serious to get past. The wound was too deep. It had blinded them in many ways, even if they did move on and lived their lives as best as they could. Even if they had reached that point of their lives, they still had a lot to learn. All had their strengths and weaknesses, but they were finally able to overcome those barriers. Being able to change their perspective helped. Martin’s analysis of their personalities to Qian Qian that one time summarized their characters quite well. Each had their own role to play within the group, which made them a strong force when combined. And I think the bonus part was seeing a third party from the conflict of years ago stepped forward to give Li Lian Bao the final piece he needed to know regarding the conflict and what led them to the current point. Although Martin no longer cared, it seemed important that Li Lian Bao knew the truth. Because it was the only missing piece that could resolve their grudge at long last. Even if it was mostly Li Lian Bao’s one-sided grudge at that point.
- Lack of promotions. Interestingly, aside from the Weibo posts, Tencent didn’t bother to promote it on Facebook or other similar platforms (overseas fans) until they released about 14-16 episodes, which was really sad. Because this deserved more attention than some of Tencent’s recently aired dramas. Or perhaps, they were scared this would rise? I don’t know. Considering how both Wallace and Qiao Zhen Yu do not have special backings, I guess their stuff wasn’t prioritize or something. Yes, I said it. I’m tired of hiding stuff or pretending backing didn’t matter. Because it definitely does. And it hadn’t gotten better over the years. On the contrary, it had gotten worse with competitions and all the dirty tricks others used against one another. No wonder the usual celebs who used to be so lively and full of hope seemed be more guarded the longer they’re in the industry, which is understandable, considering all the backstabbing going on. Anyway, back to the topic regarding this group. Not sure if the other main cast had any pull. It didn’t seem so. Considering how lacking the promotion was. It was a bit surprising too, considering how they had used Liu Yu Ning and Lars Huang’s songs for the soundtrack.
- Subtitles. Yes, it could be considered spoiled to want subtitles to be perfect. I didn’t expect much and it wasn’t the worse. But I felt resources weren’t properly distribute for this production or something. Because they used AI-translated subtitles instead of the usual team. It said it on top of the screen per episode. Yeah, people have been embracing AI lately so I didn’t blame them for using it. But not having someone else going over it again? A second check perhaps? I didn’t care that they didn’t translate the songs. But not translating texts and notes that the characters were typing or writing would affect viewers who do not understand the language. It would affect context major time. Even if some parts viewers could guess based on what the characters were saying at times, having it would help with some details. I was one of the lucky ones who understood. But what about the others? If it was released only regionally, it was all right they didn’t cater to international fans. BUT they released it internationally, so it was fair game to criticize. Having a membership meant something regarding dramas. Because you pay to get the services that was promised. So, I didn’t think it was right to shut out some fans like that. This went right back to what I said about neglecting this series and not distributing proper resources for the team. It was hard not to think that something was going on behind the scenes. Considering how past dramas that I watched was better in those areas, etc.
- Rating errors. They didn’t allow for the rating until way later. It was locked and it kept saying that I couldn’t rate it until I finish watching one episode. That same error still popped up when I was already 20 episodes in. So, yes, that’s frustrating all right, considering how people are able to rate other dramas so early on. I usually won’t rate it until I finish it since that process makes sense for me. I will give them a little grace since technical errors do happen at times. But adding in all the other little details? Seriously, at this point, it’s justified with my conspiracy theories.
- What does this mean for me on a personal note? I’m going to watch some dramas that it’s on my list for Tencent and then cancel the subscription once it’s over. Yes, I’m just one person and it doesn’t matter anyway since they will survive. But it’s my money after all and I intend to use it elsewhere. That’s all. Will I come back for some? Probably but it will be on a short time to support a certain drama, that’s all.
Recommended? I think if you’re a fan of the cast, it would be worth it.