A Nod To Yesterday’s Youth

My first review on this site because I could not stop my tears after finishing this.

The story starts off quite simply and I went into this thinking it is a nice wholesome family slice of life. While that is true for the most part, there are storylines that I never would have expected, such as domestic abuse, violence and untimely death. The raw emotions of the actors really came through, particularly by Sun Qian (playing Cheng Miao Miao), Zhai Zi Lu (playing Li Si), Li Qing (playing Cheng Ya Ya), and Qi Yu Chen (playing Yuan Shan Qing).

As somebody who grew up in the 90s as an overseas Chinese, I can relate to some aspects (like listening to popular Canto songs). But some others are not so familiar, like growing up in a village/compound like the petro fields. This adds to the nostalgia feeling from this drama, but what sets it apart is that it does not just show all rainbows and good times. The ending was shocking to say the least and I think it will leave me a while before I can get over this show.

Watch this for a blast to the past, a realistic view of 90s nostalgia, and the overarching theme that tomorrow is never guaranteed so you need to appreciate and value today.

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