Nothing But Thirty (2020)

Facing the realities with courage and bursting the lock of patriarchy

I promised myself that I was going to write a review immediately after this drama ended. What can I say? Nothing but thirty is such a beautiful and well written contemporary drama. It’s a drama that breaks stereotype and shapes multidimensional women image (Not every time one size fits all)
My emotions are still raw because this drama was so relatable from high point to low point of each character.

The storyline which depicts the life of three women (Wang Man Ni, Gu Jia & Zhong Xiao Qin) who are approaching their thirties and all the struggles/uncertainties that comes with the age.
Wang Man Ni (Jiang Shuying) is an independent, career-oriented sales assistant who is driven and hardworking. Her immediate goal, at least at the start of the show, is to achieve professional success. Throughout the show, her resilience is put to the test, personally and professionally.

Gu Jia (Tong Yao) is a capable businesswoman turned full-time housewife In many ways, she seems like a perfect wife and a strong mother: well-educated, capable, and thoughtful. But, eventually, she too has to face life’s challenges.

Zhong Xiaoqin is a kind-hearted woman -sometimes to the point of being a pushover -, and has spent years at the same company without rising the ranks. Though her story might seem simple/ordinary at first, her peace is disrupted as her marriage takes a turn for the worse when communication problem arises.

Everything single thing is so put together from the interaction at work (especially Wang Man Ni’s job as a sale assistant/ luxury buying) to the set and the cinematography. The pacing is really good, too, not too slow but not super fast.
And the most beautiful part is, of course, their story which brings them all together as they face uncertainties together. It resonates the power of sisterhood and the importance of Feminism. Even if you are not a fan of contemporary c-drama I’ll recommend that you give this a try. If you are a fan of ode to joy, you’ll most likely love this.

The acting was spectacular, Tong Yao (Gu Jia) did a fantastic job as well as the other two leading ladies Jiang Shuying & Mao Xiaotong
You could feel every emotion they felt. Li Ze Feng did well too because you almost forget this is a drama and you want to hate him in real life so bad. The young actor who portrayed Gu Jia’s son deserves an award. So adorable and intelligent.

Every other character had their own unique personalities and portrayed it nicely. I mostly could relate to Wang Man Ni. You either love them or you hate them. Lol. I loved the small family that was shown at the end of each episode. It reminded me of those small neighborhood stalls in big cities that everyone comes across each day (either you interact with them or not). How sometimes you have to find your own happiness even if you are not in the best of situations. Keep working hard. It paid off at the end.

It seems like everything about the drama is perfect even its music is so apt. The entire OST is so enchanting played at right timings. (My favorite thing to listen these days). You’ll definitely be in your feels every time they come on.

Rewatch it? Definitely. It says “To be Continued” at the end so I’ll definitely be expecting a sequel (with the same characters) and I’m excited at the thought.

This drama is literally one of the best drama of 2020 and If you haven't started it yet then YOU should do it RIGHT NOW!!

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A cdrama gem that is relatable and inspirational

For a third generation immigrant of chinese descent who grew up in South East Asia but practically lived most of her life in North America, I loved everything about this cdrama. Though kdramas are my mainstream entertainment there’s something about slice of life cdramas that resonate with me. Nothing but Thirty simply tops it all and rivals some of the best kdramas out there.

The story of three women, neither of them perfect but over the course of the forty-three episodes we see each character blossomed in such a natural way that never once I questioned it as unrealistic or rushed. There is none of the make belief fairy-tale ending but each woman emerged a stronger, happier, and wiser version of herself.

In the beginning we saw an ambitious supermom Gu Jia currying favours from the wealthy so her son can get into the prestigious kindergarten and to improve her family connections. But what made Gu Jia different from other idle trophy moms was her integrity. She stopped short of selling her soul. She maintained her dignity throughout the show whether it was to fight back against the moms who mistreated her son or against opportunistic women leeching off her husband.

Man Ni overcame hardships in her career and relationships and there were moments where I questioned her motives or actions but ultimately she showed me she had a backbone and she was not going to let men or traditions, well-intended or not, define her.

Xiao Qin’s character might have been the most simple-minded of the three but her story was also one of self-discovery, owning up to her flaws and taking responsibilities.

All the love interests in this show were well-matched, from Gu Jia’s shitty husband Xu Huan Shan, to Xiao Qin’s introvert hubby Chen Yu and man-child boyfriend Zhong Xiao Yang to Man Ni’s playboy boyfriend Liang Zheng Xian, kindhearted barista Jiang Chen and smug hometown hero Zhang Zhi. These men complemented the story perfectly. They made you hate them, love them, pity them but ultimately their characters propped up the three women and provided the backstory for Gu Jia, Man Ni and Xiao Qin to shine.

The other supporting characters were fabulous and did their parts to make this a successful drama. I hated Lin You You to the bones. She reminded me of Glenn Close’s character in Fatal Attraction. My favourites got to be Gu Jia’s dad and Uncle Yu. Both were wise and giving in their quiet ways. I especially loved the advice Gu Jia’s dad gave to his friend, ‘Children are debts we owe from our previous life…..’ So profound and insightful.

Kudos go to the writer, director and production team for putting together a masterpiece that is relatable but also inspirational. This is truly a show about the sum of the parts. It does not rely on the good looks of its leads, fairy-tale romances, over the top acting or heart-pumping thrillers. It simply works.

If you haven’t given cdramas a try, this is one that won’t disappoint. As for me, I will be waiting patiently for the next chapter of Gu Jia, Man Ni and Xiao Qin’s stories.

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Infinitely relatable even if you're not 30

What a well-written, powerful, and fully satisfying show. I am the target demographic of this drama, and I relate so strongly to all of these characters despite not having gone through their exact experiences. Even if you're not the main target demo, I'd hope the main message of, "Know yourself, and do what you think is best for you, whatever that is, whenever that is" still resonate. and 30 really is just a convenient milestone used to discuss this idea. If these women were 35, 40, 45, I could still see the message resonate the same way.

What I love most is the character growth in this show, for almost everyone. Well, for XHS you can say it's reverse growth? Some dramas hook you by the plot, some by the OTP, and some, like this one, with its characters and their journey. I've never been this invested in characters' life since Ming Lan. They grow like real people - as in, they don't change 180. They're still themselves, just more/less [something], as the consequence of the journey that they went through. It's the journey that got me invested as a viewer, and it's the growth that made me feel rewarded for my investment. Even the supposed "perfect" character, Gu Jia, had her growth, even though she paid dearly for it. I love how her existing capabilities helped her through her crisis, but she also realized it was her focus on her capabilities that made her blind to the troubling change in her husband (not an excuse for him in any way; I just agree with her own reflection about her part in the end of her marriage: with or without LYY, they would have suffered conflict, and what she learned was she cannot and shouldn't solve problems for everyone).

What I really appreciate is how all the men in the show are extremely, extremely flawed - some redeemable, some not. There's no prince charming on a white horse anywhere, no "overbearing CEO" hot guy who's actually really perfect inside. Just men, with their personal and socialized burdens they put on women :)

What I wanted more of was how they becamethis ride-of-die trio. I know we had all those crossed paths that brought Manni together with XiaoQin and Gu Jia, and I LOVE their friendship chemistry. But if we think about their personalities, lifestyle, and hobbies, there's not a lot of overlap. Maybe that's the point - they just like one another for who they are :) I do find it hard to believe though that someone as kind as Manni didn't make any other close friends in her 8 years in Shanghai.

My favorite quote (among many), was, "Our marriage didn't fail. It just ended." (Gu Jia)

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30 – the step from optimistic youth to realistic maturity

The arsenal of feminist dramas grows by the day, and China has pulled out the big guns this year with Nothing But Thirty.

Nothing But Thirty focuses on three women, each of whom are approaching their thirtieth birthday in the first episode. Each of them represents a different “type” of woman, in turn pawing through hosts of problems that their “type” suffers: Gu Jia, married with a kid; Zhong Xiao Qin, married with no children; and Wang Man Ni, single with no children. Obviously, this is an oversimplification of their circumstances, but even these basic characterizations define how they go about their lives – you can imagine, for example, that someone with a child has drastically different considerations to make than someone without.

From a female standpoint, these three characters are written as close to perfection as possible (before all the events that happen in latter third of the series that made me roll my eyes). That realism, paired with the leading ladies’ superior acting skills, are what makes this show worth watching. Each of the women are strong at times and weak during others. They allow themselves to have emotions, be stupid once in a while, but resolve to become stronger at the end of the day. Their worldviews are unique to themselves and their personal struggles, meaning that viewers can relate to one character and learn to sympathize with another.

Where the waters get very muddy is when it comes to the plot. Everything that happens in the first 20–30 episodes isn’t unrealistic at all. You get to see the oh-so-relatable financial and workplace struggles. A couple of scumbag husbands here and there. It induces a ton of frustration and outright anger (mistresses, anyone?), but that means the drama is doing its job in presenting real problems and riling you up over them.

Hit what I call “Act III,” meaning the final episodes of the show, and you really begin to question the morality of the writer. Every problem the ladies encounter is something that happens to a good amount of women in real life. But I would be hesitant to claim that the way these problems unfold down the line is representative of how most women actually live.

I want to preface my criticisms of the realism by saying that I’m closer to 20 than I am 30, and I do not live in Shanghai; thus, I don’t understand what it’s like to be Gu Jia, or Wang Man Ni, or Zhong Xiao Qin. (However, I did watch this with my Chinese mother; and while she is far from the 30-year-old mark as well, she had similar qualms.) I’ll put it this way; as a younger woman who is trying to find a way to be independent by the time I reach 30, I find the way that this show wrapped up certain issues to be extremely problematic and detrimental to the overall message of the show.

You get a pretty solid sense of the capabilities of each character with every episode and how much they grow when life begin to test them. Yet, this growth abruptly stops right when it matters the most. Perhaps it even goes backwards. And not in a way that depicts internal struggles, but in a way that’s hullabaloo, garbage writing. Because of these sudden about-faces, there are certain supporting characters who get off the hook far too easily. Others make net gains from terrible behavior and are subsequently put on a pedestal by the writer for having “redeemed themselves.” And I’m well aware that in real life, bad people get away with things. But I feel like there should be a pretty clear difference between getting away with things, and being seen as a saint just because you’re marginally less terrible than the total asshole next to you. This is a pretty bizarre and harmful message to be sending in a drama that's supposedly about women becoming stronger in the face of adversity: some people will hurt you, and you just have to...take it? Let me just say, if episodes were to continue to be written post-ending, I'm not sure luck would be in our girls' favor.

I’m not denying that Nothing But Thirty is a worthwhile watch, but it would be a painful stretch for me to claim that it’s amazing. In the end, I don’t think that the character development was satisfying enough. For the genre, though, I did find sufficient enjoyment in the process of watching. Hopefully, more female-centric dramas will be to come that take this is almost a beta of what types of female characters should be represented in the future.

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A drama about a warm friendship between three friends as they entered into a new decade.

I've been waiting all year for this drama and it did not disappoint. The friendship between the three female lead is to die for. Their undying love for another is like one, never seen before. There is no jealous among the three female lead only a strong sisterly bond in which they support and elevator one another and their dreams.


DO WATCH THIS DRAMA IF YOU WANT A WOMAN SUPPORTING WOMAN DRAMA

Plot:
Three women in Shanghai nearing their thirty forms an everlasting friendship with one another as they entered into a new decade of their life. Together they fight for their place in the world as they struggle with their marriages, relation ships, family obligation/expectation, divorce and careers.

Wang Man Ni- is the modern 2020 thirty year old woman who is still trying to finding her purpose in life. Educated and a hard working sell woman, she like most woman her age is still looking for her big break in her work place and love life. She befriends Zhong Xiao Qin, who saves her form losing her job after being sabotage by a co-worker. She quickly makes fast friends with Zhong Xiao Qin best friend Gua Jia. Her life take a big drive when she meet a man on cruise. Swept off her feet, she fall fast for the smooth talking and rich Liang Zheng Xian who is completely opposite of her poor ex-befriend Jiang Chen. Completely swoon by her new lover lavish lifestyle. She is taken back when her new lover's long time girlfriend enters the picture and begins to disrupt her work life. Defeated, once she learns of her lover true opinion of her characters as a woman, she quits her job and returns home. Home after eight long years Man Ni begins to live up to the expectation of her parents. She takes a prominent job at her new boyfriend office and begins contemplating the idea of marriage. However a surprise reunion with her two good friend convinces her that, settling for a common life, was uncharacteristic of her. Deciding to be true to herself she returns to Shanghai and become a debt collector. A job that allows Man Ni to grew into a true adult who for once finally realizes that there is more to the world then the common orthodox plan of marriage and settle down for a thirty year old woman.

Zhong Xiao Qin - is the average naive/simple 2020 dutiful daughter. Married to her first love, she live a simple live with her husband Chen Yu. With her sweet, childish and innocent behavior, she happily lives in her standstill life not hoping for any change. An unwanted pregnancy, miscarriage and lack of communication between Xiao Qin and her husband ends their two marriage. Unable to tell her parents about her divorce, she continues to live with her ex-husband. With her two friends by her side, she garner the courage to tell her parents about the divorce and moves out. Xiao Qin soon become torn between her ex-husband and new younger co-worker Zhong Xiao Yang who both defends her against the accusation and social media bullying of a fraudulent claim. Indebted to both men, Xiao Qin eventually chose her younger co-worker. The relationship does not last long, after an overnight trip ends up with Xiao Qin running away from a crazy taxi driver. Panicking she called her younger boyfriend, dejected Xiao Qin inability to consummate their relationship, he ignore the call. Unable to reach anyone else Xiao Qin reaches out to her ex-husband who without hesitation comes to her rescue. Xiao Qin eventually breaks up with her younger boyfriends. With the help of Gu Jia and Man Ni , Xiao Qin eventually accepts her blame for the failure of her marriage and comes to terms with her feeling for ex-husband. United and stronger than before, Xiao Qin and her husband begins a new chapter in their live as they both began to pursue their dreams. Xiao Qin with the support of her husband become an author.


Gu Jia- is the idea of the perfect wife, who lives only for her family. Intelligent, elegant and classic Gu Jia attempts to adjust to her new life in high society with her apparently sweet and docile husband Xu Huan Shan. Her life is turned upside down after joining a group of extremely wealthy but mean housewife. With kind Xiao Qin by her side, she maintains her honesty character and with Man Ni knowledge in high end good, she further infiltrate herself into high society. Unknowingly, that this association with the club would become the dark horse in her prefect life. With help from the women in the club, her husband troubled firework company begins to flourish once again. With her husband supplying firework to popular theme parks and with her growing desire to grow the family finances, Gu Jia is tricked into buying a failing tea business from one of the club woman. Not wanting to let down the people of the tea village Gu Jia, then takes it upon herself to save their people and failing tea business. Focused on her new career as president, she become overly absorbed in work, that she fails to noticed that her once docile husband had started an affair with the younger theme park tour guide, Lin You You, who eventually quits her job to persuade Gu Jia husband full time. Her marriage is put to the final test when her husband defies her wishes and mass produces the ever so explosives blue firework to appease his lover. Betrayed by his affair and betrayed once more by his lie about the blue firework. Gu Jia suffers from a mental breakdown. With Man Ni and Xiao Qin by her side, she mustered the courage to leave her husband once and for all. Unfortunately, it is too late as predicted the warehouse exploded. Legally bounded Gu Jia is forced to clean up her husband mistake. Once done, Gu Jia leaves her husband and embrace her life as the president of tea company as she for once in her life puts herself first.


A great drama surround the friendship of three very beautiful woman defying the odd and traditions of women's role in Chinese society.

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Definitely worth your time!

One of my favourite dramas this year. Because of the pandemic, I've watched so many dramas this year, both Korean and Chinese. So many I couldn't get past the first 3 eps... This is a quality Chinese drama, apart from those childish lovey romance dramas that China has been producing so many recently. Story, script and characters are well-written. Very relatable and realistic. The mood and the direction of this drama is great, very classy yet heartwarming when needed. All 3 female leads acted very well. Especially loved the girl friendships between the 3 ladies. Definitely worth your time!

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Bad things happen so that they can achieve a higher purpose.

If you are expecting great CEO, handsome Rich Man chasing the lead, then better drop this drama.

Recommended for: Those who love Strong Female lead, Sisterhood, Non-over Reaction Lead. Hardworking lead.
Story pace level: Not too slow, not too fast.
Ending: It's a Happy Ending in their own way. probably can consider it as an open ending.

This drama is about life in the thirties, very relatable for those people who venture to different cities for living or those living in the big city. It's 'quite' close to reality in life.
Love the morals of the story. You won't always stay in the same level, it will keep changing constantly. Being confident, kind, and righteous are the main power of great women.
Friendship game is strong here, this woman teaches us on how you should help your friend without crossing the boundaries. Different personalities that complete each other, and repaying kindness to each other in their own way.

The synopsis is a big spoiler (me not happy)

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An empowering tale of what it means to be a woman approaching your 30s

I am in awe - this is such a relatable, well written, and REAL story about women approaching their 30s as they go through various trials and tribulations in their life relating to their career, marriage, relationships etc. While the story itself may not necessarily be 'new' or 'original', our female characters experience tremendous growth and actually FEEL like real characters that you can relate to and want to call your friend. If you enjoy female centric stories, this is A MUST WATCH. What I love is that each character ends up defining what happiness means to them and them ONLY, without letting society and others dictate what they should do. All 3 women also have a strong backbone, unwilling to let anyone step on them or push them around. This goes against the typical dramaland stereotype of female leads being portrayed as weak minded and in need of a man to 'save' them. Finally, the friendship displayed between the 3 of them was such a joy to watch and will make you wish you had a friendship as close as theirs.

CHARACTERS
Gu Jia - Competent, courageous, and intelligent. As a seemingly perfect housewife/mother/businesswoman that looks like she has it all, she starts out wanting to keep up with the Joneses as she strives to better herself and her family. Out of the 3 characters, she arguably faces some of the most challenging obstacles, especially in regards to a cheating husband and business dealings - will she overcome them in the end?
Man Ni - Independent, confident, and determined. A tenacious sales assistant who moves to Shanghai and works hard to rise up in the ranks, but also faces obstacles when it comes to love and her career. While there are times where she doesn't know what she wants, she decides that growth, change, and freedom are more important to her than settling for a life of comfort and familiarity.
Xiao Qin - Kind hearted, simple minded, and endearing. Compared to Man Ni and Gu Jia, Xiao Qin is not as ambitious and sometimes a bit naive in her thinking. However, I loved her the most because I saw myself in her - having being babied by her parents and her husband, she started out as someone who was overly reliant on others. Through the drama, she grows from an ordinary office girl to one that is able to creatively express herself professionally while defining herself and what she wants along the way.

Other characters, such as the husbands and boyfriends, serve as great compliments to the leading ladies. There are some men who you will absolutely DETEST in the drama, and others who also end up growing and maturing. For example, I started out really disliking Xiao Qin's husband Chen Yu and how selfish and nonchalant he was. Throughout the drama, certain events will change his perspective on marriage, which also affects his relationship with Xiao Qin.

STORY
As a character driven drama, a lot of what happens with the story is a result of the situations and dilemmas that our characters are faced with. The story itself presents itself with familiar themes and makes you ponder questions like "Is it more important to be filial to your parents and how they want you to live your life, or to honour how YOU want to live your life?" "Is marriage and kids really the only way for a woman to be happy in this day and age?" With all the obstacles that are thrown at our female leads, one thing that never changes is the undying support the girls have for each other. Men may come and go, but your friends will be there for you when you need them. Some of my favorite scenes were when the girls were comforting each other as they each encountered different struggles. Ladies, if you have a BFF as loyal, caring, and loving as the girls in Nothing but Thirty, hold on to them because you'll be set for life.

ACTING
Sublime acting from the leads as well as the secondary characters. Everything felt so real. The acting felt so genuine that I felt like I was watching a reality show of 3 ladies in Shanghai navigating life in the big city. Even the detestable husband and his mistress acted so well to the point you can't help but despise every minute they are on screen.

SOUNDTRACK AND OTHER
The music matched the drama amazingly well, along with the beautiful cinematic shots of Shanghai. I also want to comment on how beautiful the fashion was - if you want some fashion inspo for women in their 30s, this is the drama to watch! The ladies all had their own style and pulled off every look in a stunning fashion. Additionally, it was interesting to see how WeChat conversations were weaved into the story. The WeChat edits made it feel even more real, especially with how prominent the app has become in everyday life in China.

SHOULD I WATCH?
Is this even a question? I have not watched many Cdramas but this one will stay with me for many years to come. Quarantine is the perfect time for you to binge dramas, especially dramas that are female centric, uplifting, and EMPOWERING - and what better place to start than with Nothing but Thirty!

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A must-watch for every Asian drama lovers!

I think the last time I fell in love with a drama the way I did with "Nothing But Thirty" was "Q Series: Life Plan A and B (2016)" starring Rainie Yang. And I can see some similarities between both of them, in the way women choose their destiny and take over control of their narratives.

However, in Nothing But Thirty this goes a path forward: there is no just one woman, but three from different backgrounds, interests and motivations that decide to go against the rules established by society. They're not rebellious in an aggressive way, but they candidly, wisely and above all assertively decide what they want for their lives, even if this implies confronting their families, question their "filial piety" (unfortunately still so crucial in East Asian societies), losing jobs or their lovers.

In fact, every time one of these "break" situations –let's say– arrive, the three girls are together to face the struggles life poses for them. I've never been so satisfied watching women enjoying their lives without men in the middle, and it was an amazing way to meet another China: the one that promises a lot for women, but at the same time struggles with traditions and patriarchal costumes we can even relate in distant places. Such a challenge not only in Asia, but everywhere.

I totally recommend this drama, actually, I wish everyone could watch it to laugh, cry, get angry; and, above all, enjoy the true meaning of friendship and sorority in a way few times seen in a Chinese (or Asian) drama!

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This Drama will be hard to beat for 2020

This lovely and emotional rollercoaster drama follows the journey of 3 women over a 3-4 month period who are quickly approaching their 30th birthday and the life altering experiences they each faced and ultimately rebounded from.  Some not without long term bruises. Two were already best friends (Giu Jia and Xiao Qin) from their college days and the third (Man Ni) seamlessly joined the group. As a trio, we the viewers were shown what a ride and die friendship should look like which made me nostalgic and longing for the friendships of my youth. I thought at first why the emphasis on the number 30. Was it random? Surely the events that played out could easily have happened at 28, 35 or 40.  Then I thought back to my 20s and how carefree, daring and at times immature I was. Even though my gang and I all had jobs, and some of us, long term relationships, there were no kids or mortgages to trip us up. So it makes sense that 30 was the benchmark for us to hit the pause button. For these 3 women it did
not seem so far fetched that life went downhill from there and perhaps it is too simplistic to think this only happens in the asian culture. There were moments when some scenes were painful to watch and for this the actors brilliantly executed their roles.

I think had the story revolved mainly around Mani Ni, it would not have been successful as of the three, her development took the longest and her life lessons were more self inflicted than accidental. Giu Jia on the other hand is the friend and mother we would all want to have or be. Loyal, intelligent, calm but determined, poised, steely but gracious and not afraid to bare knuckle fight when her family is threatened. Where she found the time to run her household, step in to hose down fires as a Crisis Manager (no pun intended) with her husband's workplace (they own a fireworks company), tend to her father, start a few new businesses AND make time for her friends, but be home in time for dinner, I just don't know.

When we are first introduced to Xiao Qin, her character to me was a complete contradiction. At work she was affable, mild mannered, and meek to the point of being exploited by her workers. The go along to get along type, but at home with her husband she became this other person (not necessarily unprovoked). She was prickly, combative and just plain cantankerous. But as time went on, I actually rooted for her even in the midst of having to make a decision between the two men in her life. Arrested development she was not. And then we have Man Ni.   A career woman who knows exactly what she wants. Ambitious without the nastiness and malevolence that we often see in the workplace. Unfortunately, this bravery did not crossover into her personal life and we get to see through her how as humans we oftentimes complicate matters when it comes to the heart and throw out the window all we know about what is moral and just.

I must not forget to mention the leading men who were either attached or accompanied these women on their journey. Each character brought something to the table whether you loved them, cheered them on, dismissed or hated them. They too were dynamic in their roles. Not once in this 43 episode drama did I feel that the pace was too slow or that the writing needed to be adjusted or illogical. Quite the opposite actually. I looked forward to the next episode and the next and the next. Kudos to the brilliance of the screenplay, to the actors for their execution of the characters and to some of the great quotes which are: "One doesn't ask and one doesn't speak." "Love is not reliable, the person matters." "You don't eat the fish that you caught before and threw back." "Children are a debt we owe from a previous life." Those are some of the more memorable ones.

A special shout out to Giu Jia's dad (Mr. Gu Jing), solid and a beacon of strength when she needed him to be; Mrs. Chen who quietly did her job as the housekeeper/caretaker, the adorable and perfectly cast son of Giu Jia and Xu Huan (no way he is 4 years old); and last but not least Xiao Qin's mom (Wu Mian) who cracked me up with her scenes. Always put together to the nines.

I tried to write this review without giving away any spoilers but let me just say that as a woman I cried with Giu Jia at the betrayal she encounters from her husband because for so many other women, this too is their story. She earned her stripes in those scenes as she courageously decided to do what was best for her and not sacrifice her emotional well being for her family.

This story begins with three women who enter their 30s unaware of the pitfalls and hard knocks life sometimes throws at you but indelibly they learned that to forge through and endure life's dilemmas and curve balls one has to accept and ultimately believe that to live, there are no mistakes; and you will never know how resilient and full of mettle you are until you emerge from a trauma to your spirit bruised and wounded but otherwise intact and that pain no matter how unexpected, is fleeting. Should there be a season 2, I will patiently wait and hope that the masterful writing is continued. Nothing but thirty was a 15 out of 10 for me.

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Growing up scares me but this drama gave me a little bit of strength.

I’m going to be honest, I didn’t feel like watching this drama when someone told me about it, mainly because the story has a very similar concept with my all-time favorite drama, Ode To Joy. Ode To Joy is the drama that made me obsessed with Chinese dramas and I didn’t want a similar show that might change the way I see the story. Nothing But Thirty is NOT a remake of Ode To Joy but if you’ve watched Ode To Joy, you will understand what I mean by “similar”.

Although it has similar concepts with Ode To Joy, Nothing But Thirty has its own elements that sets it apart from other dramas. The storyline was different enough to keep me hooked and I enjoyed most of it. Although I am not nearing my thirties (yet haha), I was able to relate to the characters and understand their struggles.

I’ll share a little bit about the three ladies. First we have Wang Manni. She’s a simple woman who’s struggling in a big city. (She is very similar with Fan Shengmei of Ode To Joy). Even if her life is tough, she continues to work hard in hopes of a better life in Shanghai. It’s an accurate representation of women who have to work endlessly and can’t settle down even if it’s about time. Her life isn’t the worst but it’s quite tough. I admire her strength; I think that quality really stood out.

Next we have Zhong Xiaoqing. She’s very bubbly and caring. (She is similar with Qiu Yingying of OTJ). I love how positive she is but sometimes I also hate that because people can easily take advantage of her because she’s too kind. Her character development was interesting and I love that she eventually learned how to stand up for herself. I love Xiaoqing’s story. I think her character developed really well and seeing her succeed kinda made me proud.

Lastly, we have Gu Jia. Gu Jia’s character confused me a lot. For the first half of the show I didn’t really understand her but in the end, everything made sense. She’s very insightful and she cares a lot about everybody, including her subordinates. She’s not that stereotypical rich woman and I love her. Gu Jia is very elegant and fancy but she knows how to get things done. She’s the accurate representation of a “strong, independent woman”.

I can’t choose a favorite character; there’s so much to love about the three ladies. It’s a heartwarming story that was written well. I would admit that I did skip some parts mainly because each episode switches from the life of a character to another and some scenes felt unnecessary. The story was a little stretched so there were boring bits here and there but overall, it’s worth a watch. I learned so much from them and their friendship is something everyone would want.

If you’ve watched Ode To Joy, you will surely love this one. If you’ve watched this, I suggest you watch Ode To Joy next!

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Fantastic.......

It took me 3 days to watch this story line. This was one of the Chinese dramas I have watched so far. Producers and Writers got this one right when it comes to telling women storylines.

The Music score was right on time and matched the scene perfectly. The Countryside scenes were breath taking. The City was just like any other big city life. Folk running around to busy to noticed anyone else. You will notice the country folks had each other back. They relied on each other to get through the day.

The three ladies went through heaven and hell. Some of it was self inflicted and some just by chance. When they cried and hurt, you cried and hurt. It appeared that society was put an age limit for getting married. They were obsessed on having a husband, child and house by 30 years of age. 30 was old!? Really!? Most of the men in this storyline didn't come out looking to good. For once there was weak minded, you can do anything you want to me and I will not react female Leads. All of the women were career women just trying to make it. Those women stuck with each other through thick and thin.

I really liked this storyline and I recommend it

I will watch in again in the future.

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