If you're looking for a fluffy, feel good HILARIOUS drama THIS IS IT! Roy Qiu and Alice Kuo make for super cute OTP with amazing chemistry and the likeable secondary cast make this a winner for me.

While yes, it does fill some typical Taiwan cliches and yes, the story isn't anything out of this world, but that's okay because the drama sis what it was supposed to do - make you laugh, smile, and feel for the characters. And the biggest reason I loved this drama so much is because of these characters and chemistry they had - the hilarious manager, the loud but supportive BFF, the quirky office workers, almost everyone in the cast did a great job.

I also loved the bickering and cute moments that the main couple shared. In all, I have to say: ALL ROY FANS THIS IS A MUST WATCH, but even if you are not familiar with the cast or Taiwanese dramas, I still recommend this to those who enjoy a fun to watch, breezy show. If you feel that it starts to drag, just skip those parts and watch all the way to the end becuz that wedding kiss in the last ep is BAM!

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30+ aged women who continue to MAKE WAVES!

I've watched a lot of competition shows especially Korean ones - Produce 101, Good Girl, Unpretty Rapstar, Queendom, etc but out of all of them, my favorite really has to be Sisters Who Make Waves S1. Perhaps because now I'm in my late 20s now, but I found the women super inspiring and strong - almost like watching your older sister. It was such a joy watching these incredible women grow, support each other, and achieve their dreams despite their age.

For me, I found this show particularly empowering because there is a notion in China that after 30 years of age and unmarried with no kids, you are considered 'left-over women'. This show takes the competition aspect from Korean girl group shows and adds a twist - only women over the age of 30 (actresses, singers, who are also moms, single, or even divorcees, etc) are invited to compete and work together to debut as a girl group. This show sends a powerful uplifting message that it's NEVER too late to achieve your dreams! Even in the final episode, they invited various women from different industries (an 80+ year old pilot, nurse, architect etc) to show just how accomplished women can be in different fields. The other aspect I loved was its emphasis on sisterhood and friendship. With other competition shows *looks at MNET*, they would try to edit certain scenes to create ~drama~ but here, you can FEEL the friendship that blossoms between the girls. What I also truly admire is that some of these actresses don't even have a trained dance/music background, yet with their blood, sweat, & tears, they were able to put on amazing shows. Not only that, there were a few girls who broke their wrist/ankle while practicing but still did their best to keep up and put on a good show, especially with their limited time to practice. It's no WONDER this show was a phenomenon in China last year, raking in billions of views online.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
COMMENTS ON THE TOP 7 WHO MADE IT -
1) Ning Jing (She mostly got in bc of her popularity TBH.. I thought she acted quite stuck up in the final episode and sometimes displays a very diva-like persona. Many cnetz also agree and I think it's unfair to some girls because later on, she decided to leave the group and sadly now the group has disbanded. Her skills are so-so, but I give her credit for trying)
2) Wan Qian (No surprise she made it! Aside from being an actress, she also sings well and keeps up with her dancing. She has a quiet, alluring, and chic demeanor that a lot of cnetz also liked)
3) Meng Jia (After being disqualified, she came back with roaring popularity and am glad she did, although part of me wishes Fei made it instead oops)
4) Lisi Danny (the fun ~handsome~ rapper of the group, Lisi was a great leader esp in the last few eps and has a strong masculine vibe)
5) Zhang Yuqi (the biggest surprise! She started out as an X candidate aka one of the lowest scores, but with her confidence and persistence she was able to climb to the top. Her straightforwardness and her no-BS attitude is honestly so refreshing, when I say she DGAF I mean it! At the same time she's also a caring leader ie. she let Baby Zhang have her shine when she was in her group)
6) Yisa Yu (she is so multi talented and faceted. She's known as a ballad singer in China, but on the show she gave us chinese opera, hip hop, rap, etc she really challenged herself and it showed!)
7) Isabelle Huang (honestly I did see her as a dark horse before, but as I kept watching, she also proved herself to have many sides. Aside from her indie sound, she could also dance well and even showed flexibility as a pole dancer!)

Shout out to my girl GINA (JIN) CHEN who performed AMAZINGLY each ep, through to the finals. I considered her one of the strongest contestants on the show and she ALWAYS performed well. Her, Baby Zhang, and Wang Fei Fei were robbed and should have taken Ning Jing's spot.

FAVE Performances (look it up on YT):
1) 潇洒走一回 (imo the best performance at the finals. Lisi Danny did an amazing job leading this group, loved the MJ/Bruno Mars vibes and the tutting: https://youtu.be/pvp7f9_QpGA)

2) 这是因为我们能感到疼痛​ (awesome acrobatics by Meng Jia and my girl Gina Chen: https://youtu.be/_jozzbgs76c)

3) 大碗宽面 (one of the most popular performances from the show, for good reason! Chinese opera + hip hop+ in sync choreo = WOW: youtu.be/mw49aMMUmdw)

MINOR DISLIKES
Just be prepared for a lot of product placement on the show (I mean, for such a big show, you can see why).

I'm super sad that a show that had accompanied me these past few weeks is now over and am now watching Lady Land (the reality show with the winning team)! Season 2 is airing now but it's just NOT on the same level as Season 1. If you like female centered competition shows and sisterhood, this is the SHOW FOR YOU GIRL!

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The best C-drama of 2021 so far

STORY/THEMES:
Min Ning Town is one of the most touching, hopeful, and realistic c-dramas I've ever had the chance of watching. Watching the drama felt like watching real life unfold in front of me - it was more of an experience, rather than pure entertainment. The story is quite straight forward - the government wants to build rural housing land and help promote poverty alleviation in Ningxia. From the 90s to the 2000s, it shows the ins and outs of the peasant life in rural Ningxia and the everyday challenges that they face - for example, growing mushrooms to sell, leaving town to work in a factory, younger vs older generation clashing, etc. There are also important themes that the drama addresses, such as the value of education, family/sibling sacrifice, etc. To me, I felt like this drama goes beyond simply a 'cdrama', it's one of those dramas that makes you think about the lessons in life (and luckily, the drama does so in a way that feels natural and not overbearingly preachy).

ACTING:
As as an ensemble drama, I can say confidently that every actor and actress brought their A game. Each character was beautifully acted, especially Shui Hua (acted by Rayzha Alimjan). She embodies warmth, tenacity, and resilience and you can't help but root for her in every scene you see her in. I also enjoyed the acting by Huang Xuan and Bai Yu Fan, who both acted as brothers in this drama, as well as Huang Yao as the hardworking and strong Bai Mai Miao. Finally, one of my favourite characters was Miao Miao's father, who was played by Zu Feng. His silent, unwavering support for his daughter was so beautiful to see, and I was inspired by how much he genuinely cared for his students as a teacher. Best Father/Teacher of the Year award goes to him!

DIRECTING/CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Absolutely stunning. The production crew went to Northwest China to film the drama and I love how realistic and raw the scenes are. There is none of the overly done CGI or pretty idol faces with perfect make up - it's just the actors, with dust covered on their faces, each who embody the roles they are given. The wide shots of the landscapes were gorgeous to watch, especially in the final scene.

OVERALL:
This is one of China's best dramas to date - excellent all around when it comes to directing, acting, script, cinematography, and production. While the story may not be for everyone, I encourage everyone to watch it, especially those of you who appreciate good TV. No nonsense, no cliches, no dragging - just a production with a lot of heart and soul, one where you can tell that they've done their best to perfect this drama. It's no wonder this has a 9.3 on Douban (China's IMBD).

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Atmospheric thriller set in one of the coldest cities of China

This is a gripping, psychological murder thriller set in Harbin, China where a murder case intertwines the lives of the main characters, leading to unexpected results. I would describe this as one of those dramas that depicts one's choices - and how one decision can snowball and lead someone down a morally corrupt and dark path. While I enjoyed the cool cinematography and snowy setting that the drama was set in, I felt like the narrative/script could have been written tighter, especially near the end.

CHARACTERS/ACTING
Yan Liang played by Qin Hao - a mischievous detective who is cocky and defiant, but has a superb sense of intuition. His predictions are usually correct (albeit lacking evidence). Qin Hao played him perfectly and I would say this is one of Qin Hao's defining roles. I felt like I wasn't watching Qin Hao the actor but Yan Liang the character

Guo Yu played by Xu Dai - he starts the drama as a fresh faced, naïve graduate who would do anything for his first love Xiao Ru , but towards the end turns into a manipulative and greedy narcissist who only cares about himself. Maybe because it was only 12 episodes, but I felt that his change was too abrupt. He started out the drama being extremely gullible and slow witted, but near the end turns into some kind of unrecognizable mastermind. Xu Dai did a good job overall, although some scenes felt a bit overacted. There was a scene in ep 12 where he confessed to Xiao Ru and was yelling in the apartment that Li Feng Tian should die and honestly that entire monologue was overdone and dragged out

Zhu Hui Ru (Xiao Ru) played by Deng Jia Jia - a complex character who starts out timid and soft spoken, but eventually starts to become hardened and jaded by the events around her. There were multiple times where I felt myself screaming at her not to run into dangerous situations ie. when she decided to deliver food to her eventual attacker/rapist ALONE in the middle of no where, or at the end when she confronted Guo Yu alone when she knew full well what he was capable of. I think Deng Jia Jia did mostly a good job, but not entirely consistent - she tended to show a lot of blankness in scenes that required emotional nuance

Luo Wen played by Yao Lu - a gifted forensic examiner turned serial killer, he becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to his missing wife and daughter. In my opinion, I felt that his motive to turn into a killer wasn't as compelling as I was expecting. With that said, he was an extremely layered character - you know that he killed all those people but also can't help but feel sorry for him, and almost root for him. The actor did a superb job - the kind of actor that delivers his lines in a quiet, subtle manner that demands your attention.

Li Feng Tian played by Ning Li - a mysterious mortician by day, and a debt collector/assassin by night for triads. This guy was scary as hell. He was the original Snowman Killer who killed Luo Wen's daughter and wife, motivated by revenge (because Luo Wen was working on a case earlier that involved Li Feng Tiang's son who died). While Ning Li acted extremely well as the horrifying serial killer who kills without blinking, the character was a bit too god-like for my liking. I'm sorry but how the hell did he manage to kill all those people and the police somehow didn't realize they went missing? They just disappeared into thin air as if they didn't exist? For example, he killed Guo Yu's roommate and colleague but somehow the police don't realize he went missing?

CINEMATOGRAPHY
The strength of the drama is how stylized the drama was shot. The cold, snowy, and dreary setting in Harbin with its Russian architectural influences added a chilling atmosphere to the drama. A perfect setting for crime and murder.

OVERALL
In all, I enjoyed watching this crime drama - it kept me on the edge of my seat and I felt that the performances overall were quite compelling. I would say that the first part of the drama far outweighs the second half, due to some sloppy writing near the end. Not as good as The Bad Kids, but still one of the better crime/mystery dramas in the c-drama world.

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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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One of the best C-Dramas: excellence all around

A thought provoking and tightly-written story with excellent production quality that could rival the likes of Western Crime shows on Netflix. If you decide to watch just ONE c-drama this year (or ever), make it this one - you won't regret it. This was an EXPERIENCE.

THEMES
While this drama is labelled as a mystery/crime genre, I would also call it a gritty humanistic drama that explores themes such as family trauma, societal pressures, psychology, and the origins and morals of good vs evil. Are we born good or evil? What makes someone evil? The complexities of criminality is explored and what I appreciate is that the drama showcases the 'grey' area of good vs evil - not everything is black and white.

ACTING/CAST
The acting from the entire cast, especially from the kids, exceeded all of my expectations - they BECAME the characters and brought them to LIFE. The chemistry between the kids were perfect. The parents and of course, Dongsheng, were also strong in their roles and contrasted well with the innocence of the kids. In many ways, Dongsheng serves as a parallel to Chaoyang - they are similar in so many ways, and once you start to watch the drama you will see how they start to mirror each other.

PRODUCTION
The soundtrack, cinematography, and production design came together seamlessly, effortlessly bringing the story to life. What I also respect is that the screenwriter challenges the viewers to think deeply about the story and leaves it up to the viewer to decide how they want to interpret certain details, such as the ending. A lot of times we may watch mindless dramas as a way to 'escape'. However, this drama is opposite as it demands your undivided attention and will require you to keep up as not a single scene is wasted. There is meaning behind each scene - symbolism in not just the way the script unfolds but the cinematography and camera shots.

It's rare to come across a drama of such high calibre, not just within c-dramas but Asian dramas in general. Several western media outlets such as Variety have even included The Bad Kids on their list of the best international tv shows of 2020. It is also no surprise that the drama is so popular in China and highly rated on Douban. All in all, this is the kind of drama that stays with you long after you have finished and leaves you with a lot to process. I would also recommend watching AvenueX's analysis of the drama on YouTube to make sure you haven't missed all the easter eggs and hints!

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