This was an unexpected sleeper hit for me. I picked this up on a whim with very low expectations, but came out of this drama with my heart and mind full of the Qiao siblings and their unwavering love and loyalty towards each other. This is a beautifully sensitive portrayal of flawed characters and complex familial relationships, with a stand-out cast, an achingly poignant OST and clever, detailed directing.

The story follows the five Qiao siblings from the moment their youngest is born and their mother dies from childbirth complications. Their father, neglectful and irresponsible, leaves them to mostly fend for themselves, and it falls to the eldest Qiao sibling, Qiao Yicheng, to grow up fast and take care of his younger siblings as not only their eldest brother, but at times, their only parental figure as well. In fact, I would venture to say that the heart and core of this drama is mostly Qiao Yicheng, played wonderfully by Bai Yu and his child actor counterparts. The four other siblings have their own distinct personalities and charms, but it is Qiao Yicheng who will undoubtedly steal most of your tears and your heart throughout this show. He is deeply affectionate and caring, but also strict and at times resentful; frustratingly stubborn and prideful, but also heartbreakingly self-sacrificing and earnest. This drama never shies away from showing his weaker moments, which makes his struggles all the more heartrending, and any eldest sibling in an Asian family will probably be able to relate to the conflicting way he sometimes resents his siblings, even whilst he still loves them.

Kudos should also be given to the actor of the Qiao father, who skillfully pulls off the very unlikely combination of being somehow both extraordinarily unpleasant and also laugh-out-loud comedic at the same time. The child actors in this drama are also some of the most talented ones I've ever seen and demonstrate some remarkable rapport with each other, which really help set the scene in the first few episodes before we transition to their adult counterparts. This drama is also distinctly Chinese, in the sense that the backdrop is continually steeped in little cultural contextual details that mark the passing of time from 1977 all the way to the early 2000s, so it does help to know a bit about the pop culture and history of that period. Regardless though, if you appreciate realistic, layered portrayals of complex characters, interspersed with heartwarming family moments, this is the drama for you.