The Rational Life (2021)

Mi aspettavo di più

Primissima cosa da dire: questo drama è ESTREMAMENTE lento. Quindi se cercate qualcosa di veloce, di ritmico, di allettante che vi faccia venire voglia di divorarlo, cambiate opera. Ogni episodio dura all'incirca 40-45 minuti, ma sono 35 episodi. Una marea e il fatto che la narrazione sia lenta non aiuta per niente.
Il drama, secondo me, voleva trattare due argomenti in particolare: donna in carriera in un ambiente di lavoro prettamente maschile e maschilista, e una love story tra una donna adulta e un "ragazzino". Il primo punto a parer mio l'ha svolto davvero molto bene, la lotta di questa donna all'interno di un'azienda vecchio stampo che mal vede una figura femminile tra le sue fila e soprattutto che vorrebbe salire di grado. Meno male che in questo campo non tutti gli uomini sono così e ci sarà sicuramente qualcuno ad aiutarla, però sempre una battaglia è e lei stessa più volte si farà valere.
L'altro punto invece...
Finchè i due non si mettono insieme, la storia mi stava piacendo moltissimo anche se lenta. Poi la quiete totale, che dici boh. A parte qualche scaramuccia con la madre di lei, i nostri personaggi non trovano davvero delle difficoltà nello stare insieme nonostante la notevole differenza di età. E qui il drama mi casca. Ma se finora sta povera crista doveva battersi per sedersi ad una scrivania per il solo fatto di essere donna, adesso che si scopre che sta con uno molto più giovane di lei non succede nulla? Nessuno fa "ah"?
Cioè, l'unica idea che hanno è stata infilare a forza un personaggio a caso spuntato dal nulla per "mettere in crisi" (che poi che crisi oh) la coppia? Oh ma ci siamo?

In pratica consiglio la visione solo se avete pazienza e volete vedere una donna battersi per se stessa.

p.s. Cmq anch'io come altre persone ho recuperato l'opera in primis per Dylan Wang: in questo caso attore che interpreta il co-protagonista maschile, ma conosciuto nel drama cinese Meteor Garden. Volevo vedere se era maturato e devo ammettere che come recitazione non è niente male in confronto ad altri attori presenti nel drama.

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una buon excursus in Cina

Dopo aver visto tantissime serie TV coreane, questo excursus in Cina ci è piaciuto. Nonostante certe similitudini, parliamo comunque di 2 mondi diversi. Abbiamo apprezzato il fatto che nonostante la serie sia molto "SOFT" è riuscita comunque ad tenerci appiccicati alla TV. Questo perchè contrariamente ad altre serie non ci sono quelle puntate che noi chiamiamo transitorie e/o di riempimento. Quelle che non apportano nulla alla trama/storia e che spesso sono anche ridicole e stancanti.
Qui, comunque la trama offriva 4-5 situazioni degne di essere seguite e che per tanto riempivano bene ogni singolo episodio.

Ammettiamo, che forse il finale è stato un po troppo Happy-Ending, visto che oltre all'amore anche a livero lavorativo tutto è andato nel verso giusto. Insomma, una favola !
Alla fine, a noi interessava vedere se RUO XIN avesse trovato il giusto equilibrio tra la sua razionalità e i sentimenti, se la madre di RIO XIN (tipica madre tossica asiatica insopportabile - almeno nella prima parte della storia) avrebbe capito che i pregiudizzi non servono a nulla e che l'amore non ha età. Il "giovanotto" QI XIAO alla fine, nonstante qualche conferma di immaturità si è dimostrato esattamente quel tipo di persona su misura per una donna con la storia, i sentimenti e il carattere come RUO XIN.

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Occasione mancata

Nonostante io abbia iniziato questo drama principalmente per ritrovare Dylan Wang dopo aver visto Meteor Garden, la trama mi incuriosiva molto, specialmente per la differenza di età tra i due protagonisti e il fatto che fosse la donna la persona più adulta. Purtroppo però il drama è davvero lento e decisamente troppo focalizzato sulle questioni lavorative, lasciando poco spazio ai personaggi, alle relazioni e ai diversi temi che emergono (es: la frustrazione di non trovare lavoro, l'indecisione sul mettere al mondo un figlio, ecc.).
I protagonisti mi piacciono però non sono riuscita ad affezionarmi, li ho trovato piuttosto piatti e monocorde. Di conseguenza, a mio parere, anche la recitazione ne ha risentito visto che non vi è stata l'occasione per gli attori di esprimersi al meglio.
Ho deciso di droppare il drama perché davvero soporifero, ad ogni finale di puntata non avevo la minima curiosità di sapere come proseguiva.

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Rational life.... unexpectedly with much pleasure!

"You've never asked me why I like her. I like her because of how special she is. Her ability and strength, everyone can see that side of her. But her cuteness and softness, only I can see that."

First of all, this show is for a mature audience, it's slow-paced doesn't have heavy romance. Rather Character-driven and Female-centered and revolves around how characters achieve their goals.

The story dynamics, structure, characters, and their personality development it's just in the perfect place. Romance isn't the center of attention or big aspect small yet beautifully done. Characters are three-dimensional, realistic, having their own pros and cons. And not trying to get perfect but just trying best to be themselves.
It has some coincidences but as its name isn't unreasonable.. everything has its own reason. If we take Ruoxin's mom's character she is possessive but it's her past what made her like that, she is controlling in many places but I found her cute too, and that what makes this drama special every character has different shades as if they are a real person.

It doesn't make a big issue or taboo of the age gap or revolve around that but it's handled so carefully. The drama focuses on their life, work, how they chase their goals. This is proper office drama.. where they actually work no hard work and the office doesn't become a dating spot.

Dylan Wang finally got a role, where he shines! and shows brilliant acting skill. His expressions, liveliness is very natural as if it's not acting its real self. Qi Xian is energetic, charming, confident yet so mature. His smile, sometimes weird expressions are just cherry on the top. Though being a chocolate boy he is different from most of the stereotyped leads. He has dreams, plans for the future... and he always gives his 100%.

"When he smiles at me I feel… I feel like this cold world, this world that is full of rules and restrictions has become so warm. I don’t know if it’s love or not. Because I don’t know what the definition of love is. But I know one thing for sure. In all these years, he’s the only one... Who came into my heart."
Shen Ruoxin definitely one of the best female lead characters I have ever seen. She has her own charm that made me fall for her. While she may look cold on the outside and only cares about her own interests, she’s actually a soft-hearted person. Her compassion for work, competence, smartness. She is rational, logical, and careful ready to face any problems and difficulties without wavering, a perfect definition of 'Strong Female Lead.' But aside from this, she has a different side where she can be very cute.

I don't think without Qin Lan and Dylan Wang I can imagine this drama. Even having 19 years difference in real life. There's a process we get to experience, why they fall for each other. Not out of nowhere or because of physical appearance, they like each other as a person. Their relationship progress is natural.. which is slow but realistic and pleasant, the way they look at each other, small, small gestures.

It's not a perfect drama it has many problems too, some annoying characters (But there are many characters whom I adore a lot), a bit draggy in some parts. But with leads sizzling chemistry, comfort with each other's presence is a great pleasure to watch.

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A Good Reflection of Society

This is my first ever review, and there's definitely so much to love about this series.

The female lead (Shen Ruo Xin) is older, intelligent and independent. She knows exactly what she wants and needs, and she doesn't conform to societal's norms and fixed set of beliefs. She pushes her own boundaries and fights towards what she wants and should achieve. In other words, as the title of it suggests, she's rational - up until she meets the male lead (Qi Xiao). She's such a child with him around but definitely not in the oblivious and clueless way. Just really adorable.

When she decided to take the leap of faith and be with him, she goes into it wholeheartedly. Unlike many other scripts we see where the older woman doubts the relationship, and shuns away from friends/family and public eye about being in a may-december relationship, Ruo Xin went into it and believed in it.

Although the age gap in the show is 12 years, here was no awkwardness between the cast and the built up was credible. It wasn't hard to believe that they're in love, and that they needed each other. No "baby fights", unreasonable arguments. They both trusted the process and was always there, breaking so many stereotypes and norms people usually have of such wide age gap relationships, especially when the female is older.

The other cast were great too. Honestly, it was a little tough to watch Ruo Xin's mother's nonsense antics and overreaction to her relationships (She does get on my nerves!!). But it's undeniable that the way she reacts/thinks is possibly what the general sentiment of older generation is, and even what some younger folks may also think. The show provided a good balance showing the many sides of reality — the pressure from family on a woman to get married and have children, having to match with someone of the same "calibre", accepting a wide age gap relationship, having to find a job to feed themselves over being in a relationship, and challenges in the workforce etc.

Putting aside the cuteness and lovey-dovey, the series is such a thought provoking one showing the many aspects of life. Definitely there're areas to improve — I thought the ending felt a lil rushed, I'm not quite a fan of shows that skip timeline with a "6-month later" but overall, I'll still give this a big thumbs up!

UPDATE: ok there were 3 additional short episodes after the main episodes aired and it was an adorable finishing touch to this! please don't skip the 3 extras!

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Synopsis is not accurate

Firstly, I would like to address that the synopsis is not accurate at all. The central line of the story is a straightforward, hard working, 35 year old woman with strong convictions who goes up against a staunchly patriarchal society where she’s underestimated and under minded at work in order to follow her passion. The romance(s) are more or less something that happens along the way from her perspective. Also, there really isn’t a strong love triangle as such, more like a rivalry between the two guys which is superfluous since she (at the time) doesn’t seem interested in either of them.

That being said….

This drama was so unexpectedly good! The actors were believable and the writing was consistent with character portrayal. It had none of the tropes I abhorred about Find Yourself where the FL is immature, unsure, and doesn’t have a clue about what she actually wants- ending up with her flip flopping all over the place between two men and making both of them unsure of her.

I was also pleasantly impressed that despite the age gap, the actors had really good chemistry and were well rounded and developed characters.

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An underrated series that serves as an inspiration to not just women but also life and ones' career

Realistic and Relatable : An underrated series that serves as an inspiration to not just women but also life and ones' career

The best drama that I've watched that truly has an exceptional female lead. Out of all the dramas I've encountered Shen Rouxin is definitely a character that can be an inspiration to not just women but also people striving hard in building their careers. In our society today in which ones' career depends on its success, one may face troubles such as stereotypes, discrimination or even racism in the work place. Every now and then, these situations hinder people's career and I find it admirable that this show has characters that have more depth and that show what really happens in the working industry.

Applause also for the actresses and actors who portrayed their characters well. Not to mention, the cinematography as well as the soundtracks used in the series that fits the theme of the series.

In addition to that, I also love how the main couple's relationship in the series is mature but also adorable. Shen Rou Xin and Qi Xiao talked their problems rather than having miscommunication troubles which is common in most teen / youth dramas. We also get to see the struggles of the other relationships that are portrayed in the show. Like for Song Zi Yan and Zou Cheng, we see the problems they have in their marriage and how they overcome it. We also get to see the insecurities of Su Yang and by accepting and learning from those insecurities, his relationship with You Si Jia had developed. What's more, I also commend the struggles of not just a mother but parents in general in the society - how parents have demands for their children and how these demands affect their child etc.

The Rational Life indeed is a series that gives us a unique taste for it portrays different relationships that are breaking the stereotypes that they have to face in the society while also staying true with their ideals and not minding what society says about their relationship.

Furthermore, the series also gives each characters a time to shine for we get to see their individuality and complexity (how each of them struggled with their insecurities and how each of them grew and develop as a person). Props to not just the main characters (Shen Rouxin and Qi Xiao) but also to the supporting characters Song Zi Yan, Zou Cheng, Su Yang, You Si Jia, Mother Shen and Mother Qi.

While the plot is slow burn and the romance between the main couple takes time to develop in the series, I find this to be appropriate for the highlight or focus of the series is not just the relationship but Life in general : People's career as well as issues in the modern society which can be an eyeopener to young people who haven't yet entered the working industry.

Some viewers may also claim that this show is too old fashioned and I personally and strongly disagree with this one. The reason for it is that first of all, the series shows what is really happening in the real world most especially the working environment. It gives a lesson to viewers that not everything in life, love and work is all about sunshines and rainbows. People striving to build their career may encounter problems and it is important to have a positive mindset about it . There are also the demands and expectations that people have. Not to mention, having a relationship or not even having a relationship can lead people to be prejudice towards others. Moreover, as a person who is still in my youth and who just recently started in building a career, I can definitely relate with the characters in the series for I have also encountered these complications which is why this series is definitely not old fashioned for it is Real and Raw and relays lessons that are useful especially for the youth.

While I also see that this show might be targeted for older viewers / audience, it actually entirely depends on the viewer's taste or perspective. Some youth may like it, others may not. That is why I won't be discouraging people in watching this. If you're interested in watching it then you might as well give this one a try. Don't let reviews or other people's perspective sway you in watching this for its a matter of choice.

In conclusion, The Rational Life is a series that is more of a melodrama than romance for it does not just gives Life lessons but also serves as a Revelation to viewers for it depicts Realistic situations that people face and reflect upon in the modern society.

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How difficult is to find happiness if you follow society expectations.

This drama is focused in an ambitions woman, and is all about society expectations. If you expect a drama fast paced, or a drama all about love then don't watch it.

I consider this drama created, produced and focused mostly in adults that try to make their way into society but about being happy, and when I talk about adults I mean 21+ because of the story.
Yes this drama is a feminist and is about a woman, but is not only about her, let me explain:

1. Here we have the guys that just finished college and want to get a stable job, but then if you do that you'll have to decide between your own happiness or financial stability, and believe me you'll relate!
The anxiety that comes in the last years of college and the so many existencial questions: what are you gonna do with your life? Are you disappointing your parents? Are you gonna live poor? Are you gonna be unhappy just in order to live? Are you following your dreams? Are you actually living????? (We've all lived that phase and is hell).

However, not all is hell in that time, if you've your friends and they support you, if you get a good boss, if you are able to actually talk to your parents and if they listen to you, then, the outcome is magical, and that is why I loved the relationships in this drama, the friendship, the portrayal of family.

2. We also have the parents and I love how we got the characters development. We all need friends, and even if you are an old grumpy woman you'll get that friend that is able to get you out of your comfort zone. I adore the relationship between the old women, the moms of the main characters, they were so different yet they got along so well and helped each other to get a better point of view in life. (I didn't like them all the time but loved them at the end)

3. Family is... complicated, specially your in laws. Are you supposed to follow what they say just because you are married? Are you supposed to forget about yourself just because your husband? Or just because you are a woman? This drama is not only about the problem and is also about the solution and if you love someone, they will understand.

4. Society sucks, yes, it sucks, but is because of the traditional way of thinking, the hypocrisy, the judgement towards the different, and prejudice. However, is up to you. Do you wanna play along with what they say or do you wanna be a rebel? Keep in mind that what they say hurts and is just as complicated as humans and relationships.

5. But, what I truly love about this drama is that they teach you how you can actually do things right. Being a rebel is not just about who yells better, or a pacifoc protest. Is actually about changing the other person and the way they think. Is about proving your value in the most appropriate way so the others will notice who you truly are and what you can do.


6. And FINALLY... the older woman/younger man relationship. You will love the leads, the woman is an ambitious woman. But contrary to many didn't forget about her dreams in order to get to the too, yes, she loves astronomy but she is too ambitious for that. What she really wanted was a luxurious life that she got on her own by being in the top of her field. And I love her.
She could get a rich man but she didn't. She could be a trophy wife but she didn't. She could get simple life but no, she wanted to be in the top without the help of others, not owing anything and always following her values of honesty and respect.
And the ML, he was lovely, a young man, too caring, too good for this world but he wasn't silly. He is smart and he knows what he wants, he won't lose himself for stability, he cares about others but he won't sugar coat or sacrifice himself for that. He knows he is good looking, well spoken and knows what to do with how charming he is.

All in all, if you don't care about slow paced dramas and if you like women of power, this is for you.

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A sweet slow burn romance between an older woman and younger man

The Rational Life is easy and enjoyable to watch, but is probably catered towards a more mature audience since it tackles subjects like what it's like being a career driven single woman in her thirties, family struggles and office politics. Even though the subjects might sound heavy the drama overall feels very light.

The female lead Shen Ruo Xin is a very ambitious, intelligent and capable woman in her thirties. She knows what she wants in life and never stops working towards her goals. When she meets the male lead Qi Xiao he takes out other sides in her and around him she feels comfortable to just be herself. Together they face a lot of struggles and growth at work, but also in their private lives.

They create a very strong bond early on, but it takes time for their relationship to develop further. Even though the main characters has an age difference of 12 years in the drama their romance doesn't feel awkward or forced thanks to the actor's amazing performances. Since the drama is a bit longer the slow burn romance and pacing actually suits it. My biggest complaint would be that it lacks passion so by the time they do start dating it isn't as satisfying as one might wish.

I've seen a lot of people call this drama realistic, but I don't agree with that. While it is inspirational with such a strong female lead it also annoys me that so many dramas either make their female lead clumsy and naive or they make her overly rational, capable and smart to the point of perfection.

I long for a capable career driven female lead that is great at her job but without feeling like she can't do anything wrong, always knows the right thing to say and do in every single situation, always has the best suggestions and ideas. I'm tired of it always being one extreme or the other. You can be a strong empowered smart woman that's great at your job without it being potrayed in such an unrealistic way.

Exaggerations, extremes and stereotypes in dramas are okay, but I think that in a drama that almost feels like a Slice of Life that tackles real issues in society the character's should feel more human and real. Other than that I do like her character a lot and she's one of the most enjoyable parts of the show.

Shen Ruo Xin's mom is very controlling and overbearing, but I don't mind that since it's actually something that many people go through with their parents. What I do mind though is that a lot of her reactions felt very unnatural. Her character felt very inconsistent and some scenes almost felt like theatrics rather than acting. I thought that the family aspect of the drama was nice and created a great balance with the work and romance related ones, so the inconsistency in the mother's behaviour threw me off sometimes.

All in all this is a very sweet drama, one of the better age gap dramas out there in my opinion. I even enjoyed the work place related plotlines which says a lot.

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Modern drama actually worth watching!

I absolutely adore the modern drama " The Rational Life" on Netflix: What a pearl!
I usually don't watch modern dramas because they either turn too unrealistically dramatic or they're simply boring with their office work. But this one is soo wholesome and reflective of society. It reminds me a bit of the book 'Kim JiYoung, born 1982' in its way of portraying societal struggles for women. On top of that we have a slowly developed romance between the FL, Qin Lan, and the ML, Dylan Wang, which starts out as a friendship and builds up. I really enjoy this set-up of a romance drama.

Furthermore, all side-characters presented gets their story told. They don't get too much screen time in comparison to the main couple, like in other dramas, but at the same time they don't get too little time to develop their storyline; a storyline that is actually worth watching as well. I particularly love the storyline of the childless couple, the female lead's best friend and her husband, because it is so rare that such a story gets told.

My overall score is 10/10, despite the music and rewatch value was deemed lower. Personally, those two categories aren't my most important ones. Yes, a great OST can enhance the experience, but an awful storyline will forever be an awful storyline no matter if the music is great or not. And for the rewatch value: sometimes dramas should only be watched once; this is one of them. I might go back to find some life quotes and scenes with the side couple, but that's the only thing. I wouldn't like to destroy the wonderful feeling I had when watching this.

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an older women younger man drama with much more depth

i just finished binging this series and if you are into older woman younger man dramas that is both bittersweet and realistic, then this is the drama for you. although it has areas that can be improved, overall it was a great watch. here's my breakdown of the pros and cons..
pros:
- even though the lead actors have a 19 age difference, i thought they pulled off their characters very well and their interactions didn't seem awkward at all
- the script was actually written quite well, this was a older women younger men drama done WELL
- the story in general is entertaining it's quite hard to write a love story with 12 year age gap that allows the audience to actually understand why two people are together and get along
- the outfits and just general styling of the characters were very well done
- i absolutely adorable the shen ruoxin, i think she's someone that girls can look up to, very independent women with her own views and she's just such a badass while keeping her gentle personality
- qi xiao is honestly such a cute bean, to be honest dylan wang didn't leave the best impression for me especially after meteor garden i rlly didn't like his character, but here wow he's proved that he's worth the hype, presenting his character as a very cheerful but mature man
- some other side characters i really liked were qi xiao's mom she's such a chill, caring mom, as well as you sijia very cute and supportive character, i also want to add that xu mingjie although i did't like him in the beginning, he's a great ceo and mentor for shen ruoxin
- i personally really like office business centered dramas so this was a great watch in general

cons:
- shen ruoxin's mom holy that woman needs to go for real, she gets on my nerves so much, i tried so hard to understand her very traditional perspectives but she needs to understand her daughter can make her own decisions in life, good thing she learned from that tho, in the end accepting the mains relationship
- i skipped a good amount of parts especially near the middle of the drama it just get's kinda draggy but does pick up near the end
- the side character stories were honestly kinda boring in my opinion like i really didn't care for them
- some of the characters like shen ruoxin's pursuers men were just so annoying at times but i think that's just part of the plot build up

overall a great watch if you are looking for a medium lengthen drama to binge with a great cast and entertaining story and set up

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