Actress that EATS!
Niche drama similar vibe to "Make it till you fake it." It's a Modern mature romance focusing on couples pass their 30s. Not that many can relate to this drama, but it's got its charming points:1. Macau - a specific unique vibe. The drama explored plenty of the city's charm.
2. The Food scenes. If you are a foodie, you'll like this part. I actually appreciate the actress chowing down in the eating scenes. (You know after seeing C-Drama actors fake eating apple, pastries.) Food culture is the way to bring people together.
3. Warmth of a family without toxic parents and the small community that everyone knows everyone. Unrelatable but totally charming.
The relationships in focus:
1. Race car driver & artist gallery girl. Complete hotness overload couple but I didn't find their story all that interesting. This is what I call unrelatable hot boredom.
2. Smart Marketing Manager and the local know everyone guy. By far this is the most charming pair. She's working her life away (Most people have felt that sometime in their lives) and he's the enjoy life is short. Their relationship is the classic opposites attract type.
3. Less in focus, the Hotel employee with the piano child prodigy.
Supporting cast:
1. Parents that own the restaurant. Love this family!
2. Divorce parents of the young daughter that's getting married to the older brother. Dad is totally skippable. Mom is funny.
Last 2 ep felt draggy.
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Healing drama of 2024
Having walked out of a toxic job and figuring life in 2024, I resonated so well with the story, and am so grateful to hear assurance from this show. <3I would recommend this drama for anyone lost in life, figuring out life, a drama suitable for start of the year. It has a slow, dreamy vibe with soft filter effects that makes it like a film, plus the soundtrack is so suitable for the story. Each character has their own story developed nicely till the end. Some mentioned that main character's story was cut short, but I felt the multiple character introduction makes a good break to develop the story as a whole!
It's not heavy in romance yet some parts makes your heart race - the dialogues, the acting - it makes me want to fall in love again. The life lessons learnt there is a 10/10.
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This review may contain spoilers
inject it into my veins
i adored both lead couples and their dynamics because they didn't lack chemistry, acting, or storytelling. however, i wish they had promoted the younger brother and xu jiajia as the side couple considering how much impact their story had on everyone else's. the reason why my rating isn't higher is simply because of xu jiajia's dad. that man didn't deserve the ending he ended up getting. surprisingly, overall, this drama was a great watching experience from the start until the endalso, li mo should never quit making these hidden gem slice of lifey cdramas
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A Heartfelt Ode to Macau
Begin Again is a charming drama aired during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Macau's return to China after over 400 years of Portuguese rule. Beyond being a simple drama, it serves as a love letter to Macau, showcasing the city’s idyllic lifestyle, unique culinary heritage, and cultural blend of East and West. Macau is also a unique confluence of Mandarin and Cantonese, and the drama beautifully highlights this linguistic duality, adding depth and authenticity to its portrayal of the city.Set against Macau’s slower-paced lifestyle—a stark contrast to the hustle of nearby metropolises like Hong Kong and Shenzhen—the series weaves its story through vibrant visuals of local delicacies, historic landmarks, and contemporary attractions. Its promotional intent is clear, and it delivers beautifully on this front.
Storyline
The narrative takes its time to introduce the four main characters, whose chance meetings evolve into meaningful connections. While the overarching plot takes a backseat to Macau’s scenic and cultural showcase, the character interactions provide a gentle framework for the drama’s progression.
֍ Mai You Ge (Amy Chen): An advertising executive in Macau to oversee a promotional video project for an international hotel. Lost in a foreign city where she doesn’t speak the language, she meets Xu Jun Le (Sunny Sun), a charismatic local who doubles as her informal guide and companion.
֍ Chen Jia Hui (Zhong Chu Xi): An art director and artist representing Macau’s glamorous and artistic side. She crosses paths with Han Jun Hao (Elvis Han), a professional race car driver in town for the thrilling Macau Grand Prix. Their first encounter—a spontaneous and adrenaline-fueled motorcycle race—sets the stage for a story brimming with speed and passion.
֍ The third and quirkier subplot involves a hotel manager who finds herself babysitting an 8-year-old Eurasian boy—a piano prodigy preparing for a recital.
Each storyline feels secondary to Macau itself, which remains the true star of the show.
What Worked
The drama shines in its portrayal of Macau as a city of contrasts—new and old, glamorous and traditional, East and West. The slow-paced, idyllic lifestyle is a refreshing escape, and the sumptuous local cuisine is almost a character of its own.
֍ Cultural Representation: Through Mai You Ge’s wide-eyed exploration, viewers are treated to a culinary and cultural feast. Her onscreen enthusiasm for food is contagious.
֍ Character Diversity: Each character offers a different lens on Macau. Chen Jia Hui embodies sophistication and high society, Han Jun Hao captures the adrenaline-pumping excitement of the Macau Grand Prix and the city’s thrill-seeking side, and Mai You Ge represents those yearning to escape the chaos of modern life. However, the standout is Xu Jun Le (Sunny Sun), whose carefree, carpe diem attitude is infectious. His simple yet rich life philosophy resonates deeply.
֍ Language Differences: Though both Mandarin and Cantonese are considered Chinese, their spoken forms are vastly different—almost like separate languages. The drama cleverly highlights the nuances of these differences, often using them as a source of humor. Misunderstandings due to language barriers and differing terminology provide moments of levity and authenticity, giving viewers insight into the cultural and linguistic richness of Macau.
֍ Cinematography: The city is beautifully shot, with an emphasis on its blend of historic charm and modern vibrancy. The Grand Prix scenes, in particular, are brimming with energy, capturing the electrifying rush of high-speed racing and the iconic atmosphere of the event.
What Could Be Improved
While the child actor playing the young Eurasian boy performs admirably, his babysitter Casey suffers from awkward and stilted dialogue. Additionally, Isabella (Lisa-Marie Tse) feels overly exaggerated, making her scenes slightly uncomfortable to watch.
Final Thoughts
Don’t expect a gripping or intricate plot from Begin Again—its primary goal is to promote Macau, and it excels in this role. The lighthearted stories of the characters serve as a vehicle to explore the city, its cuisine, and its culture. The Grand Prix scenes add a much-needed dose of adrenaline, and the language differences inject humor and authenticity.
More than just a drama, Begin Again serves as an invitation to visitors and expatriates alike to take a break from their exhausting "996" work lifestyle. It even subtly encourages the idea of moving to Macau for a life inspired by carpe diem—a slower pace filled with rich experiences and simple joys.
At its heart, Begin Again delivers a powerful reminder: the most important part of life is not about results, and it’s not just about the journey—it’s about the company we keep. The last two episodes are especially moving, as they highlight the importance of stepping out of one’s comfort zone and making changes when life isn’t fulfilling. As Einstein put it, “If you keep doing the same thing over and over again, it will not give you a different outcome.”
For anyone curious about Macau or simply looking for a cozy, picturesque watch with a touch of high-speed excitement, Begin Again is worth your time.
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Life through different experiences.
To be honest i really liked this drama,1. It really gave the literal meaning of life. Especially at this point where all are so busy and pressurised in their lives and work.
2. It gave the meaning of real practical love. Not something impossible or "it only happens in dramas" type, but practical one.
3. It also showed how to love and care ourselves, how to enjoy the very little things in our lives which we all have forgotten.
4. The songs, scenery, foods, actors, acting, emotions, everything was balanced.
5. It showed how to love and mend our mistakes in a relationship. How to love the ones near to us without taking them for granted.
6. It also showed how not to give up and if we trust ourselves we should take even 1% chance available to reach our goal.
7. At last i really liked Hao and Jiajia wedding speech, their love was so perfect, practical and beautiful. I liked how they demonstrated their love to mend other's feelings too. And
how everything was so connected.
Ofcourse these are just my views and my opinions. I know there are many who have different perspectives and opinions.
Thank you.
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Unexpected
Story:First, stumbling upon this drama that only had two episodes, I did not expect that this show would be this good. This drama was not like your cliche, the cast was delightful, with no frustrating dubbings that could make your head explode, especially with the female characters since they're annoying and act like their age, unlike many Chinese actresses who have their voices dubbed in childlike voices and act like literal toddlers. Furthermore, the male actors weren't your typical Chinese standard, which made it more realistic. The three different storylines were done well as they were entirely different, which catered to more viewers and made the show less boring. The first storyline with the thot racer and the art curator was hot and new; this was a new storyline for a drama which made it interesting, and the high emotions they had for each other made it intense in a good way, somewhat addicting... The second story with Mai and Junie was my favorite; it was a slow burn but a good what if you know what I mean. Jun le was patient towards Mai, and their scene with another was a chef's kiss ( although I was at the end, they had more screen time). Their situation was maybe one of the healthiest relationships I've ever seen in a Cdrama. The third story with Casey and the piano Prodigy was not my favorite, but it was very interesting since I did skip their scenes I was more interested in the other characters as I was watching this for the romance; it is still a great story if you needed the break from the romance.
Cast:
All actors and actresses suited this role perfectly, and I can't nitpick them since they all did so well! But even though Elvis Han is not my favourite actor as I don't see him as great as an actor but he pulled through
Music:
I didn't care for the music, but the variety was great.
Rewatch value:
I wouldn't rewatch it any time soon, but It's a new comfort show and background TV series whenever I'm bored or studying and need something on the TV.
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"We all have the right to choose what makes us happy"
The life that is happening now. There is no frenetic action that leaves you anxious to see what will follow. Just bits and pieces of life. Just, as one of the main characters says, moments that remain to exist forever in parallel space-time, not linearly.Both female protagonists have a fear of commitment, and both male protagonists strive to experience love.
It's a series that has sadness, tranquility, passion, trepidation, beautiful cityscapes, copious amounts of food, Macau - enchanting day and night, great music that reflects the frozen moments.
A series that looks at the place of relationships in life, of work, of family.
The actors are very real, the situations are not fictional, but ones that can be experienced every day.
Two main couples, lots of additional characters, in the second part of the series they added another bunch of characters whose relationships the viewer follows, but unlike other commenters, I don't think it hinders the series, on the contrary, it broadens the perspective.
Cinematically, the series is very different from the usual Asian series and is more reminiscent of a European series.
Some quotes from the series that reflect the authors' conception:
"We all have the right to choose what makes us happy"
"We all want to make money, but we don't make enough. So not enjoying your life, at the expense of making money, would be a waste."
" Our lives are hectic and every landscape we pass by is a unique little poem."
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Drama Travelogue
The main couple in this drama were interesting and Warm. He was lovely and natural. His character held the rest together. The female lead was a sad, work abused workaholic with no life outside of her job. I am hoping that she extricates herserl from her empty life. The second couple of pretentious characters were really boring and misplaced. It was like watching 2 separate dramas. I was sorry Elvis had such a boring role. The warmth of the lovely lead's family was really nice. Their restaurant was a meeting place for the community. I didn't undersatnd why there were so many glamourous females in the pretentious couple's story. Neither of them gave off any depth or significance Just thrill seekers. Sadly China seems to have caught up with the US in terms of workaholic , money chasing, fake people. That is sad. Chinese Period Dramas leave the present day life ones look shallow and overly westernised.Was this review helpful to you?
