Very in-depth Villain but superficial Male Lead.

Review contains spoilers! Youve been warned!

Storyline: Very well written! Su Rongqing is such an interesting character. He loves Li Rong just as much as Pei Wenxuan does, but he doesnt trust her as much as PWX trusts her. Unfortunately, their life circumstances make it hard for them to be together. He just doesnt trust her enough to know that she'd be able to prevent his family's death. I cant blame him though, poor guy is traumatized. Not to mention the power struggles, there's no way the king would let them be together. That aside, I love the mystery around finding out what happened in the past. I also really enjoyed the reveal of SRQ. We got to hear the story from his side that made us completely understand why he did what he did. His death was unavoidable though. I like that, even though PWX and SRQ were enemies, PWX didnt want SRQ to die either. UNFORTUNATELY SRQ has so much more depth than PWX. PWX was just a puppy at the commands of LR. He's cute! But he's boring. But I did love the couple banter! They really are like an old couple! Two old souls and yet they still act like children and still get butterflies around each other. One of the goals of the drama was to melt LR's stone heart. Which it achieves; she goes from cold and independent to a damsel in distress. You can be a strong independent woman but when with your husband, you soften and he takes care of you. I didnt like it tho.
Casting: the pick for SRQ was good! His face is so innocent and yet so full of sadness. He portrayed SRQ so well! I just wanted to give him a hug!
I also wasnt a fan of Zhang Ling He much. I've watched him in Maiden Holmes and Love Between Fairy and Devil but DAMMNN he was such a good actor in this drama! I got butterflies!!
I'm honestly impressed with Zhao JinMai. A young but really good actress!
Overall enjoyable drama with really good side couples too

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A heartfelt drama about sisterhood and feminism with a dash of humor and romance

I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. It was definitely humorous at the start but the drama shifted to a more serious tone about halfway through. I love how the main characters faced a variety of issues such as socioeconomic disparities, female rights, natural disasters, and even in-home power struggles! Our main characters were able to tackle them in a way that shows their true generous character. We saw the main characters mature without losing their true selves.

The development in the romance department was also slow but steady. Li Wei is not a princess in distress and Ying Zheng was completely supporting her from behind without overstepping his position. I honestly love that. He knows his wife is capable but is still willing to lend her a hand. They also didnt have any major miscommunication issues which was refreshing.

I thought 40 episodes would be too long but upon finishing the drama, I felt the pacing was very fitting for this kind of story. We grow along with the characters at a very natural pace. I didn't feel any part of the drama being too rushed. It is very common for dramas to have a rushed ending just to wrap up the story. I am pleased to say, that is not the case for New Life Begins. Bonus points for the flashbacks in the last episode! It made me realize how much everyone has grown.

Pros: Family bonding, sisterhood, steady pace, empowering
Cons: Music wasn't catchy and oddly really melancholic. I felt like that didn't really match the mood.

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Show was mid

The storyline was simple. One of the things i definitely could not get past was the lack of sisterhood in this drama. Of course, Gu Xiao Man and Qiu Yan were great friends to Lin Xi. I have no issues with them. Hightly disappointed in Zhuang Fei and Shi Ying. Why are we sabotaging each other over men??? Couldnt get past that. I was also consistently rolling my eyes with GXM and Chen Yi Chuan. She was OBSESSED with him. I spent so much of the first half of the drama waiting for her to wake up and realize how much better Duan Ning treated her and how poorly CYC treated her. She was literally a dog at his beck and call. Additionally, Xia Lin Xi is too much like a supportive female western character (like the ones in the old cowboy movies). She is just there to provide help to the male lead. Yes, i agree she loves him and I also agree that he is a great person but some things she did just felt like she was doing TOO much. I guess she's fortunate that Jiang Zheng Han truly loved her and wasnt there to take advantage of her.
If i knew these people personally, i would definitely want to tell them: (1) Men are not worth fighting over. (2) You can love men but being obsessed with them is not okay. (3) You dont have to do everything for him. Let him be his own independent person. She bought him a laptop, rented him a place to stay near his work, moved his entire secret base to him, agreed to go abroad to fund the company. It just felt too much like we were regressing back to plots where the ladies are just there to aid the male lead.

On the bright side, i do like that JZH trusted XLX's decisions. This was something Qin Yue couldnt do.
Speaking of Qin Yue, why is everyone so blindly in love with someone who doesnt love them back? It was a whole love conga line!!

Main couple also had poor communication skills. They think hiding their personal struggles from the other is the right thing to do. But at that point, are you even in a relationship if youre not willing to work out problems together?? Why are you making the decision for the other party rather than giving them a chance to share their opinions?? For example, XLX tutoring because her mom cut her funds. I get that she was worried that ZJH would worry and that he would take on the role of breadwinner on his own. Judging by his response when she decided to go abroad, i dont think he would stop her from teaching had she just been transparent with him.

The ending felt rushed yet also dragged out at the same time. We were bombarded with updates on everyone during XLX's time abroad and yet nothing past the wedding between our leads. What was the point of a bug popping up during their wedding? It was like the ending was beng stretched then abruptly ended??? It felt like a useless point to me.

Overall, was disappointed in the plot. Music was meh. Main actors were great though!

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SO GOOD! I am so emotionally attached to this drama

Omggg I cried! But it felt good. The characters had so much dimension! Tian Yao was definitely written by a woman. A lot of the things he said just felt so heart wrenching. Examples: "I would wish the couple happiness" or "You want too much. All I want is her". And he didn't just say it, his actions showed it too! I really understood his past and how it affected his future. It all gets connected in the end. IT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE once you make it to the end. It all stemmed from one person and everything is connected. The plot was well written. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I havented watch a well balanced drama in a long time. The plot was intriguing, the characters felt real, I cried. THE OST MAKES ME CRY! BFTB had its happy moments but also a few PAINFUL moments. A perfect medley of love, pain, and mystery. Tbh, the ending felt rushed and I still have no idea whether it's a happy ending or he's dreaming... WHICH I STRONGLY DISLIKE. If it's a happy ending, I need confirmation; I need to see the characters living their happily ever after and explaining to me how she's still alive etc.

Also, Hou MingHao is an amazing actor! His eyes speak so much! I definitely need to see him in more xianxia/wuxia dramas

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Resolving the mystery was why I stayed. Drama was cute but Meh

Resolving the mystery was what kept me watching it. The mystery itself wasnt ground breaking like some other dramas I've watched. Jeremy's acting was also really good! HIS EYES they speak volumes. Overall, a cute fluffy drama! Ending felt a bit rushed? I love all the side couples and am glad that they all had a happily ever after. I've been rooting for Zhou Shu An since the beginning! I've definitely watched more captivating dramas; ones that left me feeling like a piece of me was ripped away. This one wasnt that. I guess I didnt really feel like i got to know the characters personally. It just felt like i was watching a show. I wasnt submerged in the experience. Also, FL cries too much. It is as ML said, she cries about everything. Ive rolled my eyes quite a few times getting through this drama. Some scenes felt too unrealistically cheesey.
Even so. It was enjoyable!

P.S. Im not the kind to rewatch. Take my rewatch value with a grain of salt.
P.S.S. is it normal to pair NaNa with older actors? She was paired with Vengo Gao in Snowfall. It just feels odd to me. Was the age gap a part of the storyline?

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Truly empowering and heart warming!

The plot was one of the best I've watched in a while. I know dramas nowadays focus on female empowerment and this drama really did a great job in that aspect. A household of women who have never worked a day in their lives and yet, they beat the odds. I felt so empowered by the scenes where everyone gathered together to run the family business. That's my dream right there. I cant explain how warm and fluffy this drama made me feel. She's also very human. She's strong, resilient, independent, yes but she makes mistakes too. She feels real. I like that about her too.
Focusing on the romance, it wasnt too much. It completely matched their personalities. It was gentle and unboasting. I loved it.
Casting. I think the actress was a great choice! She looks resilient. Not your typical damsel in distress. Also love the side couples!! Shaoyao and Shen Huan couple was such an interesting soft delve into interabled relationships? Kinda like Attorney Woo. HOWEVER I dont know how I feel about Hu YiTian as the male lead. I've only ever watched him in A Love So Beautiful and he gets the stoic characters down. Gu Yanxi has a lot more depth to his character and I dont think Hu YiTian is quite there yet. He spends a lot of the drama with an empty look on his face ? I still like him as Gu Yanxi though. Also Caesar Wu, I cant take him seriously! This character type is so drastically different from the "monster" general in General's Lady.
Overall, I really enjoyed the drama!

ps. Im not a rewatcher. I tend to only watch shows once and call it a day.

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