Where Dreams Begin (2023)

Choices Make the Person

Story:
A slice of life that did a remarkable job portraying how specific life choices molded people into who they become. They all didn’t start off as great or evil characters but because of the people they chose or the choices they made. I think the best part about this story was that it felt true to real world circumstances. The writers truly made you analyze every individual character and the choices they made. It wasn’t easy to just stamp good or bad on them because they didn’t make the choices because of ill intentions but because of human characteristics such as jealousy, sadness, etc. The storyline was cohesive and fluid and allowed us to understand where it went wrong or right for every character. Really a well written script!

Acting:
The actors in this drama did an exceptional job including the supporting cast members. There are 3 actors that were great and really showed their acting prowess - Xiao Zhan, Li Qin & Liu Ruilin. Xiao Zhan really impressed me with how much he improved and how well he was able to portray his character. The scenes where he was supposed to portray grief really hit hard. It wasn’t over the top but felt that he understood how his character would portray that specific emotion.

Would I Recommend:
Yes! I understand the time span of this drama might not be the most appealing and it even swayed me a little. I thought it would be a drama that I would come in for the male lead but not enjoy the story as much except for maybe certain parts. However, I was truly impressed by how much I enjoyed it and even rewatched episodes while waiting for new ones. So, if you could get past the 70s era than I think people can truly enjoy it because it really is a great slice of life drama with an incredibly written script.

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A fascinating tapestry of life

A masterful period drama that is well worth seeing even if that isn't your usual cup of tea (like in my case).

An excellent script about the life of one Xiao Chunsheng and people around him, starting from the turbulent times at the end of Cultural Revolution onwards, brought to life by incredible acting is the shortest way to sum up this drama. Something that is probably the biggest problem currently in Chinese entertainment - good writing - was annulled by the expert pen of Xu Bing, the scriptwriter of this drama and then flashed out by an excellent group of young actors, led by a masterful performance by Xiao Zhan.

Can the strongest friendships of our youthful days survive the trials and tribulations of adult life? At the most difficult times that no person should face, what are the choices one will make and why? Why do some stray off the moral path and why do some stuck to it? Are idealism and realism two incompatible ways of looking at life? Are our first loves, no matter how memorable, the ones that will last through the trials of adulthood?

Can a person stick to their original righteous intention and live their life through according to their core principles no matter what life keeps throwing at them?

All this and much more is answered and presented to us while the characters grow in front of our eyes, wondering the very authentic streets of Beijing in the 70s, suffer in war fields and finally live their adult lives, changed by the harsh realities of life itself from the youth they once were. They are all distinct characters, fully realised and their actions are always understandable. The viewer may hate some of them but will always know the why. There is no excessive or unreasonable emotion. All scenes are there for a reason and help tightly weave this fascinating story that will keep you glued to the screen.

Is it a perfect drama? No, there is no such thing as perfection and there are always things one can nitpcik but this one, like Xiao Chunsheng himself, strives to get there, sticks throughout to what it set out to do from the start and ultimately succeeds in delivering. It does not get any closer to perfect than that. You will not be sorry if you give it a chance.

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Dream A 40 Year Dream

Only watched this for Xiao Zhan as I'm not a fan of heavy propaganda dramas usually from any country. I also have seen both LQ and LRL in other dramas and knew they were good actors and could handle pretty much any role. When I do these reviews, it's always from not just an audience member standpoint, but also as a writer/author. So I am impartial to everyone and everything. I don't like the new title of the drama so to me it's always been "Where Dreams Began" and here XZ aka XCS dreamed a 40 year dream.

Pros: This series had a great flowing storyline where you didn't have any filler feeling episodes except for maybe the final 2. Favorite characters were tied with the leads; XCS and TXM or LQ. But at the same time they were also in the cons which I'll explain below. XCS was a man who unwaveringly followed his ideals even when more experienced in life people told him that his ideals would make him lose and regret those who felt inferior to him. After he overcame his physical disability post war, he was even stronger mentally. TXM was the epitome of quiet strength. She was his rock, his anchor even when they weren't yet together, before he realized any of it. Women like her are incredibly inspirational. Not only did she push him but herself.

Many people didn't like YGH and HHL due to their selfishness and cowardice but I did because they were the two morally gray ones in this story. Characters can't just be black or white, they need layers, to be able to evolve in whichever direction. We wouldn't necessarily want them in our lives but as characters on the screen, they were fascinating. The rest of the crew of QT, YQ, YF, DL, Amao, the other guy whose name I don't recall, plus certain parents, uncle Dong were all very awesome characters and all of the actors whether I found their characters necessary or should have left sooner, did a superb job. CHJ was actually the best antagonist out of the batch because you saw his corruption over time as opposed to Heizi, who though I liked as a greedy, money hungry character was too repetitive in his crimes and just came off as downright stupid.

Sets, costumes, OSTs, accents all of that was appropriate for whichever time period you were in.

Cons: Though they were trying to portray the 70s and onward over there as best as they could, much was unrealistic. Though I loved both XCS and TXM, as someone else mentioned in the comments, these characters don't exist in real life. They are too perfect in their ideology and no one on earth is flawless. They came off as their own versions of Gandhi and Mother Teresa. Trying to portray that in a slice of life type of story, essentially takes away from that slice of life. LSY was just there for too long and got away with too much. The actor did well but to have him constantly let go or wriggle out of the law while other people like QT who did legal work lost everything wasn't fair. It made the law look useless especially in such a high propaganda filled series. Those two just didn't jive. The constant nepotism became nauseating.

I will speak about the propaganda; I knew what I was going to watch but what--as someone who was also born in a socialist/communist country which no longer exists so I actually know what I'm talking about--kept throwing me off and having the scenes take a hit, was not that it was used but WHERE. In all of the military, government related and whatnot scenes, totally understandable. But when the characters are just having fun together shooting the breeze or being romantic with their significant others and the speechifying starts, it is eye roll worthy because literally no one did that ever in any country. When there are family gatherings or two neighbors meet up or something everyday, propaganda speeches do not happen. You'd sooner ask about a child's health or if they went to the movies, so that's where it was way too much.

The fact that there were multiple time jumps and we never knew where we were. It could be anywhere from a few months to a few years. One viewer had to research and write out a timeline in the comments. People shouldn't have to do that when watching a series; a small note on the screen would have sufficed. The SARS epidemic in the final two episodes was also unnecessary. They could've wrapped it all up nicely around the CNY episodes because otherwise it felt like this plot was just chucked in there last minute and was quite rushed.

Would I recommend it? If you are a fan of any of the actors and like a nice flowing storyline until that end. I think all of the actors did a superb job; very pleased with that.

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A review I had to write. I just rewatched this. Please don't miss this gem.

It's a story of six friends...

And it is one of the best coming-of-age/slice-of-life dramas. Strong cast, a beautifully acted, down-to-earth script, with beautiful cinematography, and compelling stories. It is full of nostalgia demonstrating almost every kind of love(and betrayal) in one drama. Unrequited love, affectionate love, puppy love, playful love, love of self over others, love of others over self almost to a fault, enduring love, familial love, unconditional love.

Every character, even supporting characters, is rich in detail. It shows how there are natural cowards and natural-born heroes. Some naturally step back and those who naturally step forward. Many sides of each of the characters are revealed throughout the episodes, some staying at their core while others drastically change. The drama covers a long span of time. Faults that weren't there when they were young, come out or develop through the years. Like real life, all had some faults and all had good characteristics, both relatable. I couldn't hate any of the characters. Some had support and love in their youth while others were challenged early in life due to bad circumstances. Some were tempted by greed, while others fought and succumbed to their inferiority complexes. One of my favorite characters had serious faults but it was due to being so unlucky in his early life, but watching him try to survive and change his life around, grew into a strong character that I loved, rooted for, and hoped for. It's difficult to review a complex drama as this one so I will leave it at that.

One great thing about this drama is when something upsetting happens, it is resolved quickly and not dragged out throughout the episodes. It moves quickly through time and has lots of action that will keep you engaged from episode to episode. I also love that it is narrated.

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I love the boy here Xiao Zhan, wonderful actor

If I can score to the highest level 100% .
This drama is now one of my favorites , what a story telling marvel!
The screenplay is excellent, all the actors played their part so well.
I love the settings, the costumes.
Beautiful actors , I can see no plastic surgery hopefully 🤞
Special mention to the lead actor, I saw a part in The Untamed ( he’s very natural there, effeminate, can’t be just acting,he’s more comfortable with romantic scenes ) I was awed by this actor, you can’t tell it’s the same person, he acted so well in the Untamed I thought “it can’t be” . The Untamed is not for me though, the acting is so well but I’m uncomfortable looking at him in that drama , sorry not my cup f tea. I’ll wait for another one with him .
With this in The Youth Memories , he truly is versatile. That part in the skating rink, I watched over and over ….. beautifully done. Thank you to the production, the director and the writers, they’ve done a classic. I’m still waiting for the last 2 episodes but I decided to write this since I’m not changing my review anyway, I love the drama no matter the ending is. Definitely I highly recommend.

Addendum: I loved this drama so much , I was reading and sadly found out the director passed away this year. May he Rest In Peace.

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A DRAMA THAT I WILL REMEMBER FOREVER

First of all, i am a romance sucker. But this drama is beyond my expectation. Yes, it don't had heavy romance troops but you will feel every bit of it. I love everything about it. The characters, the relationships, the sacrifices, the life teachings.. Every thing. I don't usually cry, but i admit that i cried a ocean in this. i love XCS and TXM, i love their love for each other, their support for each other. They understand each other so well . I just can't believe it ended.


I don't say much , i just lost my words. I watched so many dramas but can't seen anything perfect like this. If you hesitate to start this, i tell you guys, you just missed something big.

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Where Their Dreams Began

Where Dreams Begin is one of those drama that slowly pull you in and then don’t let go for a very long time. The script is very tight, there’s hardly a dull moment. And even though I usually avoid Chinese dramas because of the number of episodes intimidates me, I have grown to love the characters so much that for the first time ever I’d like to say that I wouldn’t mind if the drama had a couple more episodes.

The story is a mix of different genres but the main focus is on the interpersonal relationships and on the changes people go through over time. All the actors did a great job, I was of course impressed by Xiao Zhan who plays the main character Xiao Chunsheng (who made me cry more often than I’d like to admit) and the supporting cast too. I fell in love with Ye Fang (even though her character does some questionable things but that the beauty of the characters in this drama - they are all humans with flaws), Qi Tian, Xiaohui , Xiao Chunsheng’s sister and even the ‘bad guys’ (won’t spoil their names here).

If you are into good acting supported by a solid script and if you like character based dramas that bring nostalgia , then watch Where Dreams Begin, you won’t regret it

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Well worth the time

Everyone seems to have said it all; how great this series is. Mine will be short. The cast were phenomenal. LiQin, I’ve seen several of her dramas. I really like her character here. She really shone. Xiao Zhan, I’ve heard of and definitely he was very good here. There was a short kiss scene between them and I’m wondering if it’s something they agreed on. I don’t know bout Zhan, but in other Qin shows, she has barely intimate scenes. It must be her conditions. I think they chose a very good drama that highlights their flexibility and maturity.

Story of growth, perseverance, as well as choices really highlights this wonderful production. We were young once too. This story depicts so much relatable circumstances of our youth into growing up. It’s a really good one.

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If you are not watching this drama, what are you even doing?

Focusing on the growth of a group of young people from Beijing, "The Youth Memories" shows the audience the style of the past times through the reproduction of scenes. From the Shichahai Ice Rink to the Hutong street scene, the drama successfully creates an immersive and nostalgic atmosphere for the audience .

Xiao Chunsheng (played by Xiao Zhan), who is the central character of the drama, is open-minded, witty and loyal to a fault. He is someone who can always sticks to his inner choice and faces his fate with extraordinary courage and idealism. Xiao Chunsheng's story is, in a sense, a story of finding your place in the changing times.

Xiao Chunsheng and He Hongling (played by Cao Feiran) fell in love at first sight, but they were so passionate about ab pursuing their own dreams, that their differences ultimately made it impossible for them to stay together. As one of the most controversial characters , He Hongling presents the contradiction between ideals and reality. In contrast, Tong Xiaomei (played by Li Qin) stays loyal to her heart from beginning to end, and is more similar to Xiao Chunsheng in her idealistic world view.

All the love stories in the drama are closely related to the character's personality and values.
So in my opinion ‘The Youth Memories’ is one of the most realistic, solid c-dramas out there with a strong cats, beautiful cinematography, memorable ending song and a well-written script

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