Sisterhood (2023)

Real "Strong Women"

“Sisterhood” is everything the title promises to be. Several women of various ages and social ranks, work, grow and live life together in a time where being a truly brave and strong woman was something that would instill distrust and disfavor in people who aren’t receptive to change.

From start to finish I was impressed by the Red Scarf women (female construction workers), who existed in real life (samsui women) and had to work twice as hard doing hard manual labor and still be belittled by the men on the construction sites. I did some research into the topic upon finishing the drama and it became quite clear that this drama feels so real because they decided to honor and represent these women.
The 40 episodes went by fast and I did not skip a single scene.
It’s multi-layered and covers many different types of people, from samsui women, to gangs and the upper class society as well as many different settings and circumstances. Just take a peak at the tags of this drama and you‘ll see what I mean.

Although it has two main characters, throughout the drama there are episodes where the focus shifts from character to character. I quite liked that it wasn’t just about the leads and their story. All supporting roles would easily pass the Bechdel test, as they each have their own story.

Ouygang Tingqing(FL), starts at the very bottom and grows into a leader of the samsui women by standing up for her sisters, making connections, wise decisions and bringing in ideas on how to improve their lives and careers. Among the red scarf women, no one is like the other and conflicts are dealt with and resolved. It’s quite surprising that none of these characters were villainized nor made perfect. It was a true pleasure watching the sisterhood of these women.

Another thing I loved is that, given its female centered plot, instead of having a rich, influential ML as a backer for the FL, we have Nan Lan. A rich, older lady that is deemed mysterious as she befriends people outside of her social circle and race.

I totally love how all the main female characters had their life intertwined with each other in so many ways, but not in a means to complicate it but rather to build a better life for themselves and their peers. They don’t limit themselves to what has been given but instead work hard to achieve their dreams.
They start their stories at different phases in life but as they grow, everyone find their purpose and even within the samsui women, there are many that find their purpose in another way of life but still are supported by their sisters, who want to see them succeed.
Success comes in many ways and this drama shows a variety of what that can mean for different people.

Of course every drama also has people who make trouble, this one is surely no exception but our ladies are a force to be reckoned with. Not a single time does our FL back down.
There are ups and downs throughout the drama in terms of hardship caused by other people but be sure that your blood pressure will not spike all the time nor for too long.
I also liked that the FL wasn't someone to just forgive and forget, even when it came to family members.

----spoiler territory starts here----


About romance: Let me say this, it’s not a romance centered drama. Yes, there are romantic elements and there are multiple couples - but it’s just a part of their life's journey that happens later on. I really loved ML, a sweet gangster that chased the FL, since she stood up to him in the first episode. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a devoted guy that was totally in love with her. This also brought in the comedic element. The actor is really great, I quite enjoyed his performance. Definitely will go on my list of favorite MLs. Plus no need to worry about an imbalance of their dynamic, the FL is very strong so ML is very sweet to her and tries to help her in whatever way he can. But be aware that there are no on screen kisses between the leads, yet for once I don’t totally hate that.

Weak points:
I praised it a lot, I know and it’s quite good but of course it also has it’s flaws. Without spoiling too much I ll just mention 3 points- there was a side character that I was kinda disappointed that he didn’t magically show up alive again, because it would have suited said character. His pursuit of a female character was fun and not your usual pairing.
Also as mentioned above the romance of the leads is very slow burn. I had wished for something a bit more intense on her side.
Generally it’s a great drama for what it is but here and there certain plot points could have been polished a little bit more.

About the ending:
Everything was tied up nicely and although it got more intense in the end, it has a very beautiful happy ending that brought forth the diversity in characters once again. I know this drama was adapted from a novel and the ending very much felt like the last page of a book.

Beautiful drama about the extraordinary women of Xingzhou, who worked hard and built themselves a better life by being courageous in their daily life.

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When you are away from home, your Sisters are all that you have.

Subjective Gut Rating - 8.25

Stumbled upon “Sisterhood”, probably saw someone posted on the Feeds. It’s not an idol drama and the plot is probably not too enticing to many watchers. But I wanted to watch something different, and was glad to give this a shot.

This is an underrated drama about the “Sisterhood” of the Red Scarves ladies, who moved from Sam Sui (China) to Singapore for work. Not many dramas focus on the stories of women moving away from home. The drama focuses on the life and challenges of these Red Scarves ladies, and their career first in the construction industry and then branching out to others.

We follow Ou Yang Tian Qing (FL) through her career as someone fresh-off-the-boat to becoming the team leader of the Red Scarves ladies. Tian Qin is easy to root for but can also seem a little too ‘can do no wrong’. I enjoy her journey of growth and how she works closely with those she met in Singapore, especially her benefactress, Nan Lan. However, at times her words of wisdom and encouragement can seem a little preachy to me.

Romance is a side plot but enough to keep the romance lover in me satisfied but not wow me. I did not fall in love with male lead, Kuang Hai Sheng, immediately as he seems a little stalkerish in the beginning episodes. But he grows on me and I’ve grown to really like his character. He’s caring, sweet and supportive of Tian Qing’s career. Verbally, he might tease Tian Qing a lot, but deep down he was never pushy with his feelings. I wish the secondary romance didn’t happen but it’s also to-be-expected. 2ML fell in love again rather quickly.

The pacing of this drama is good. There are enough mini-climaxes throughout the drama to keep me interested in all 40 episodes. At times, I am a little confused about how much time has passed. A lot could have happened on screen and then I realized only a day or two went by.

Acting is good all around, including the supporting cast. Veteran actresses Yue Li Na (Nan Lan/benefactress), Xu Fan Xi (2nd Madam Lu), Xie Cheng Ying (Miss Qi) and Zhang Xi Wen (Sister Ling) are all amazing and shine brighter than the younger ones. There are also enough irritating characters in this drama that I want to strangle. I had to fast-forward some of their scenes. I think the one I dislike the most is the 2FL, He Xiao Chan (FL’s best friend). I dislike FL’s mother as well. I actually don’t dislike the villain as much as those two.

What I hate the most is the HORRIBLE English spoken by so-called foreigners and native English speakers, except for Police Chief Hunter. There are quite a few English dialogues and each time I hear the English spoken, my ears bleed.

Overall, I had a good time watching this drama. It’s something different for me personally. I would recommend this if you enjoy stories of women empowerment and sisterhood.



Completed: 7/11/2023 - Review #333

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