Where Dreams Begin (2023)

Tbh, I struggled the first 20 episodes, which is a lot. Comments say "this is not a romance" but ChuSheng spends 20 episodes in love with the 2FML and even when he is facing death, he is still thinking about her. HHL was, however, a good written character. In spite of being the most selfish person ever, she was human and her hopes and fears were totally understandable, at least for me. But I started this drama expecting the CP of XZ and LQ, which is nowhere to be seen in the 1st TWENTY episodes.

Which leads me to the 2nd problem this drama has... the characterization of the 2 leads: ChuSheng, a.k.a, Gary Stu and Xiaomei, a.k.a, Mary Sue. Both are attractive, kind, the most unselfish persons you will ever see; altruistics and never get angry nor resentful. Heck, there are a couple of nasty characters, either jealous of CS or just plain thugs (Heizi) and CS not only forgives them over and over again... he never gets angry . XM is understanding, supportive and mature, never ever thinking of herself. The total opposite of selfish HHL XD

Add to that that both are willing to die for their country and people, and voilá! You have 2 Chinese role models. As a whole, I see this drama as a idealistic cdrama. Even the unlikeable characters that commit crimes and perjury get their redemption arc (except for 2). TBH I don't even see HOW Heizi redeems himself... he stabs, smuggles, lies, betrays and even hires someone to ruin his wife's life (and face) and he still manages to be forgiven **side-eye**.

On the other hand, there are a couple of characters that I really liked, like Ye Fang, QiTian, Yan Qiu and Duan Lei. And the setting was very well done. While the negative points are stronger, it still has its good points.

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So impressed from drama

dramaAt first I though this is usual ubarn drama with heavy plot,but after star watching I understand it is not,this story is so so beautiful ,My mind goes very relax when I watching this,friendship,love all are very geart warming,and all actors are very good ,they change there are looks perfectly for characters,sometime I annoying waching c dramas because actors and acresses act this kind of characters with heavy idol makup but this cast is not there are features perfectly matching for character ,I higly recommend this drama specially you are a one who want courage for chasing your dream you should watch this drama ,this drama give lot of courage to me chasing my dreams,and I also learn lot of valuble things about culture and history there are very interesting

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An inspiring story about friendship and family struggles

The story line is good , The acting skill of the male lead actor Xiao Zhan is so real , a very handsome young man who is ambitious and responsible of his words and deed , the rest of the cast are also good , the story line is realistic and every episode is not boring . I love this drama.

Just a passersby , I am not used to watch a Chinese period drama , i tried some but after 2-3 episodes i always drop them , maybe because i'm not a chinese , i'm picky with regards to artist appearance , chinese actors and actresses are not as good looking , bad teeth and crooked legs , but xiao zhan is an exemption , he is very handsome and charming , perfect in face and body and very charming .

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It’s a good show

The characters are well portrayed. I’m especially captivated by the male lead Xiao Chunsheng played by actor Xiao Zhan and female lead Tong Xiaomei played by actor Li Qin.
XiaoZhan does a great job emoting Chunsheng in different scenes. He’s especially talented with expressing emotions through his eyes and body language.
Xiao Chunsheng is a very loyal friend. He’s a fun loving kid but he has serious side to him. I especially love his serious side 🤭
Xiaomei is loveable. She’s also a straight forward person and isn’t afraid of confronting sensitive situations head on.
I’m excited to see the growth of their relationship. They two characters are good for each other.

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Amazing actors, amazing story

It is a very nice story that can atract all generations, actors are amazing , xiao zhan is such an expressive actor , talented and devoted to his work and li qin is so delicate and sensible , managing to transmit her feelings to the audience but all actors are very good, they have their story and you can feel their struggle , even the bad guys have their reasons in the surrounding climate
They are so young and yet have to face so many problems
I have seen only 6 episodes until now but the story is so promising that i am looking forward every day for a new episode
I liked it very much

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Good. Almost great.

Nice watch. The drama started really well but after a while it became a little to preachy. Most characters didn't grow and were one dimensional. This skewed the show to become a little unrealistic and the I could no longer suspend reality and fall into the story. Main error being the classic black and white characters trope. The good people were too good, the bad people to bad and the dumb people too dumb.

This could have been better as 24 episodes a it would have condensed the points the writers were trying to make without the drama becoming annoying as variation of the same issues repeat over and over again. A lot of Cdramas still struggle a lot with this. After lead gets used and backstabbed 2/3 times we get the point you are trying to make. No need to repeat it 10 times. This repetition slows down the pace of the story. Some storyline seemed forced and didn't add to the narrative like the virus thing.

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...

It's a thrilling drama. In the beginning, the protagonist made a mistake with his friend, he knew about his friend's feelings and still approached the young woman. The drama shows the mistakes of several characters, and it is sad to see some become bad people over time and others suffer from the consequences of their choices and mistakes and have an unhappy marriage. I wish they had focused a little more on the protagonist's romance with the doctor, there were many episodes of him liking the other character. It would be interesting to watch them in another drama. It's an incredible drama.

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A drama you'll feel glad you watched

This drama is so real and yet beautiful. It's fascinating to get a glimpse into China's (post-revolution) history from the perspective of the common man, but that is just a side benefit. The greatness of this drama is in how it portrays varied and true-to-life characters and how their moral compass (or lack thereof), their character, and their choices will over time lead them to very different paths. The pacing is on the slow side (especially at first as you are introduced to the many characters and become acquainted with their backgrounds and relationships) but there is always a "next thing" you are watching for, so it never gets tedious. Pretty soon you find yourself very attached to and sympathetic with the characters, so their emotions and hopes and disappointments are incredibly moving. The acting was excellent all around and very nuanced. Sean Xiao in particular was perfect in this role and created an inspiring but sill human character. It's just a meaningful and beautiful story that feels like it was based on real people that the writer knew.

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