A 1970s family saga that's generally free of angst.
Notable Actors/Actresses
Director
Chinese Title
Small Households in the Alley
#1: The moms – Yan Ni as Huang Ling and Jiang Xin as Song Ying. Their front-yard chit-chat is more engaging than the romance, haha. This isn't a backhanded compliment. These ladies are engaging in the simplest ways. I cried with Huang Ling when she told her husband why her heart broke when Song Ying moved away: the one and only person who would unconditionally have her back was gone. *Sniffles* (And that was totally a backhanded comment at her husband).
#3 The parents of Lin Dong Zhe – Jiang Xin as Song Ying and Li Guang Jie as Lin Wu Feng. They're unrealistically perfect! But I like. They're a strong CP. He's a fairytale husband: capable ($), faithful, and places his wife first even above their son. She loves him equally and for her family, she will riot in pursuit of her rights and she will fiercely defend those who deserve it.
#1 Shi Yan Peng as Peng Fei. The surprise scene-stealer who made me emotional. From a young age, he knew he was the unwanted kid at his relatives' place, and so he was exceptionally frugal so that he wouldn't be a financial burden to any of the Zhuangs. His misinterpretation of his mother's actions by the bridge – thinking she wanted to end her life because she's too poor to afford his education – was heartbreaking. Yet, despite these experiences (that I would find traumatic as a kid), or maybe it's because of these experiences he pressed forward with resilience for his parents' sake and made them all proud.
#2 Guo Xiao Dong as Zhuang Chao Ying. He's a favourite of mine because hating him feels too relatable. He embodies the "common man" all women can collectively roll their eyes at, haha. He's genuinely a good guy, and a devoted son, but that same devotion makes him the "villain" husband and father. It's fine for him to sacrifice for his parents, but it's another thing entirely to expect his wife and children to do the same. By the end though, he gets a character development! I like it a lot that he came through. He remained filial, but learned to set his husband/father priorities straight (i.e. first).
#3 All versions of Lin Dong Zhe. It was a cycle of mourning the loss of one Lin Dong Zhe, growing to love the new Lin Dong Zhe, and then mourning that loss only to embrace the next – over and over again. It was fun to see four actors inheriting the best traits from both his parents: fun, carefree, smart + street-smart, positive, gossipy, and loyal.
Fan Cheng Cheng as Zhuang Tu Nan. Yes. He was bad. But! It's more like his DNA just didn't fit the image of Zhuang Tu Nan. Plus, his story was dry when Fan Cheng Cheng appeared.
Zhou Jie Qiong as Wu Shan Shan. She did not play a likeable character, but she was relatable. Her father remarried and she quietly endured her mean-spirited stepmother. The Moms (Lin And Zhuang) would occasionally step in to support her, and so she thought she could rely on them too when her brother needed help. However, every family has its own difficulties, and the Moms couldn’t take on the responsibility of providing for a child who wasn't theirs. She held a grudge for that. I think it's understandable. She thinks they have the means, but the Moms don't have the obligation to sacrifice.
Cast
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| Yan Ni: Huang Ling (Mother Zhuang) |
Guo Xiao Dong: Zhuang Chao Ying |
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| Jiang Xin: Song Ying (Mother Lin) |
Li Guang Jie: Lin Wu Feng |
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| Fan Cheng Cheng: Zhuang Tu Nan |
Lu Yu Xiao: Li Jia |
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| Guan Xiao Tong: Zhuang Xiao Ting |
Wang An Yu: Lin Dong Zhe |
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| Shi Yun Peng: Xiang Peng Fei |
Zhou Jie Qiong: Wu Shan Shan |
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| Li Qian: Zhang A Mei |
Zhang Rui Han: Wu Jian Guo |
Review
The poster is a great litmus test. Does it look boring? Look away – good or not won't matter to you. Does it seem interesting? Look closer, you have yourself a solid slice-of-life family drama!
The crew is considered elite in Cdramas – and they continue to prove it. This drama is instantly immersive and captures the "realistic" ebbs and flows of life in the 1970s. It's from the same director as The Story of Ming Lan, Battle of Changsha, and The Bond, and the same producer as Nirvana in Fire. Another slightly interesting connection in the crew is Fan Cheng Cheng and Wang An Yu. From BL (Chasing the Light), they're now BILs here.
Rating: 3/5. This is exactly the type of drama I struggle to rate because it will not reflect its production quality nor the heartfelt effort poured into it. I like that this family saga is generally an angst-free journey. It's a slice-of-life story that follows them as they age and ultimately find happiness. For superficial me, the initial draw was the younger cast, Wang An Yu, Guan Xiao Tong, and Lu Yu Xiao. I'm a little sad to say that they didn't blow me away. I'm happy that the richness of the other characters won me over, though. The best moments shone in the beginning (when the whole cast was together), but plot was significantly weaker when everyone branched out. Averaging out my feelings for the whole show, they sit perfectly in the middle.
P.S. Looking at their living conditions, you may think they're poor, but I can guarantee you they are considered at least the upper end of the middle class of their time. These characters are living ridiculously successful lives.
Favourite Relationships
"Take care of your mom (when I'm gone)"
#2: The romance between Lin Dong Zhe and Zhuang Xiao Ting. It's Wang An Yu and Guan Xiao Tong characters but it's not their version I love the most. They got the boring part of the romance, i.e. the settled phase. The cuter parts are with the adolescents where I can see why and how their feelings developed. They grew up as childhood friends, neighbours, and desk-mates. Her introverted nature attracted him and his extroversion was healing to her.
#3 The parents of Lin Dong Zhe – Jiang Xin as Song Ying and Li Guang Jie as Lin Wu Feng. They're unrealistically perfect! But I like. They're a strong CP. He's a fairytale husband: capable ($), faithful, and places his wife first even above their son. She loves him equally and for her family, she will riot in pursuit of her rights and she will fiercely defend those who deserve it.
Standout Characters
(who aren't the moms)
#1 Shi Yan Peng as Peng Fei. The surprise scene-stealer who made me emotional. From a young age, he knew he was the unwanted kid at his relatives' place, and so he was exceptionally frugal so that he wouldn't be a financial burden to any of the Zhuangs. His misinterpretation of his mother's actions by the bridge – thinking she wanted to end her life because she's too poor to afford his education – was heartbreaking. Yet, despite these experiences (that I would find traumatic as a kid), or maybe it's because of these experiences he pressed forward with resilience for his parents' sake and made them all proud.
I love it when Peng Fei told his uncle, Father Zhuang, why he doesn't care about his grand/parents. Peng Fei would gladly take his uncle and aunt's scolding, but he would never respect his grandparents'. The two experiences are worlds apart. The grandparents never showed him love, but the Zhuang parents, despite their scolding, genuinely cared. The father/uncle stayed up to check his homework and the mother/aunt made sure he was never excluded and made delicious meals for him. Every little thing the grandparents, uncle and aunt did or didn't do for him, he knew.
Then when the finale left out Peng Fei, we (as in fans) were reeling. Show pulled a grandparent move and neglected him, tsktsk.
He didn't eat the watermelon or the icecream because he was trying to save money and not be a burden-to his aunt and uncle. :(
He thought his mother wanted to die and was scared for a second :(
Peng Fei :( crying because his boss insulted his parents for raising a kid like him. Peng Fei never cried no matter how much he suffered, but when it comes to his parents...:( It's the first time he showed his vulnerability and it was only to Mother Zhuang.
Mother Zhuang is the first person he showed off his business to (his mother is not in town)
#2 Guo Xiao Dong as Zhuang Chao Ying. He's a favourite of mine because hating him feels too relatable. He embodies the "common man" all women can collectively roll their eyes at, haha. He's genuinely a good guy, and a devoted son, but that same devotion makes him the "villain" husband and father. It's fine for him to sacrifice for his parents, but it's another thing entirely to expect his wife and children to do the same. By the end though, he gets a character development! I like it a lot that he came through. He remained filial, but learned to set his husband/father priorities straight (i.e. first).
#3 All versions of Lin Dong Zhe. It was a cycle of mourning the loss of one Lin Dong Zhe, growing to love the new Lin Dong Zhe, and then mourning that loss only to embrace the next – over and over again. It was fun to see four actors inheriting the best traits from both his parents: fun, carefree, smart + street-smart, positive, gossipy, and loyal.
Lin Dong Zhe 1.0
Lin Dong Zhe 2.0
He doesn't wash his hands after he poops xD
Yelling his Mom's full name "Song Ying" in public
Using "adultery"idioms on his mom like "拋夫棄子" (Toss away the husband, and abandon the child) and "背信起義" (Break faith and abandon loyalty) because she ate noodles without him.
Lin Dong Zhe 3.0
Lin Dong Zhe 4.0
Other Characters
Fan Cheng Cheng as Zhuang Tu Nan. Yes. He was bad. But! It's more like his DNA just didn't fit the image of Zhuang Tu Nan. Plus, his story was dry when Fan Cheng Cheng appeared.
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| Zhuang Tu Nan |
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| Zhuang The Imposter |
Lu Yu Xiao as Li Jia. 1) She arrives too late with too much family baggage and I'm just thinking – please just make up your mind if you're going to love Zhuang Tu Nan or not. Stop making the guy look like a loser in front of you.
Recommendations
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