Qu you feng de di fang

While I have enjoyed watching many Chinese dramas, I always felt there was something lacking in all of them. Maybe it was creativity or chemistry between the leads or poor acting by some of the characters. This one however is so terrific that the small flaws are more than compensated by the wonderful characters, beautiful cinematography and the enchanting story of the grief stricken, burnt out hotel executive who takes a break from life at a charming rural village. The show is chockful of intriguing characters and their back stories. The granny is "THE" granny everyone would love in their life. The male lead is virtuous, handsome and enterprising yet clumsy in love. I have never wanted to travel to China until I watched this show and now would love to travel to the area. It highlights the traditions, craft and food of the Bai people but it is very well integrated into the story so it never feels out of place. I could not recommend this show enough.

This is my second foray into a C-drama series. I thought it might be cutesy and slapstick like many others but this series is far from it. The 40-episode commitment almost put me off but the trailer appealed to me because of its soft approach to humanity.

To be honest, I almost gave up after episode 1 because I was already crying buckets. I thought if the rest of the series was like this, I wouldn't be able to make it through the series. I somehow perservered because the series captured the quaint village, its lifestyle, quirky characters and beautiful countryside.

The dialogue is written well - especially for the lead roles. The conversations are real and meaningful, giving you good insights into human emotions and behaviour.

The two lead actors Liu Yifei and Li Xian are of course not new to acting. They carried out their roles well, making you root for them almost right from the start. Li Xian is very convincing as a country boy with some city life experience; Liu Yifei is the cool city chick who comes to the quaint village to fulfil a promise. Good casting of the leads because they are totally believable as a couple.

Watch it, cry a little, then watch key scenes over again!

In the first few episodes, MEET YOURSELF had some charm, and I was hopeful that a genuine story would emerge. The FL is very pretty, but her face seldom changes expression. So far, it's hard to care about her. The ML is warm and engaging--and also a very skilled actor. But hour after hour, the story is pretty thin gruel.

An exhausted woman, who has just lost her dearest friend, retreats to a lovely hotel near a lake in Dali, Yunnan, to rest and recuperate. Just to give you an idea of how it goes: in episodes 3 and 4, the FL, Xu Hongdou, makes small talk with the other residents, naps, eats, plays with a cat in one scene and with an ant in another, worries about mosquitoes, takes a walk to a neighboring village to get her phone fixed-and that's about it. The ML, Xie Zhi Yao, gossips gently about his younger brother, who isn't interested in school. He talks with the mother of another resident, who wants to leave town. He takes a few photographs of the residents for his budding tourism project. He cooks, eats, gently bullies his brother-and that's it for him.

These two episodes took up a little more than 1 ½ hours of my real day. The narrative, such as it is, is slower than continental drift.

I'm a person who lives in a sunny, picturesque town, near the ocean. I, too, have friendly neighbors to chat with. I, too, take naps and run errands. Why spend a big chunk of my time watching people on the other side of the world pretend to do what I do every day?

One reason might be because - this is a chance to view a completely different culture. But is this a fair portrait of that culture? Or is this a romanticized version with all the ugliness omitted?

The description on IMDB is as follows: "After the death of her best friend, Xu Hongdou...takes a vacation in Yun Dali, Yunnan. There, she met wonderful people and did wonderful things." Again, an evasive description like that just doesn't cut it. When there's no central, organizing principal, it's not art-it's not even entertainment.

Later: Now I'm up to Episode 9. One character ran away. Another has left this backwater town for the Big City. The older characters lecture the young folks telling them the equivalent of-"don't underestimate the value of a good education" and "there are sleazy folks on the internet." The young'uns, as always, are duly impressed.

Many, many people say that MEET YOURSELF is peaceful and calming. But really - after several hours of this, there's not enough to stir my emotions or stimulate my intellect or my interest. Nothing to justify this much of my time. I'd rather go watch some ants. But I'll soldier on.

Later still: I'm now up to Episode 31. There's now the semblance of a plot, though the action meanders from incident to incident in a maddeningly leisurely way. The FL has developed some spunk and individuality, but mostly my initial impressions remain. It IS possible for a beautiful FL to have a unique and compelling personality (for example: see IT'S OK, THAT'S LOVE or MY DEAREST).

Cliff hanger: Will this review actually be made available for others to read? Stay tuned...

This drama is very different from other c-dramas I have seen. The story reflects a lot of social issues but still tells the story in a romantic way. The cinematography is just spectacular. The scenery in Yunnan is so beautiful! Liu Yifei is beautiful and amazing as always! Her character and her acting resonate with me a lot! She is a great actress. I highly recommend this c-drama to everyone, especially those undergoing great pressure in their lives. It really resonates with our everyday lives and all the pressure and issues that we're going through. All cast did a great job. This drama would definitely be one my favorites c-dramas!!

I'm not the type to watch mainstream media but as someone who has done a lot of backpacking, including in Yunnan, Meet Yourself filled me with nostalgia for simpler times. The experience of a bunch of misfits turning up to the same location and serendipitously making great friendships is a beautiful and rare thing, but an experience known to many that have spent years on the road.

The scenic setting in Yunnan is also critical to the experience of the show. Hard to think of anywhere better in the world for a show like this to be filmed.

I may be too old these days to relive those times, but I was briefly able to by watching Meet Yourself. Beautiful show.