What is the story of Time flies and you are here?

Story 8.0

Acting/Cast 8.0

Music 8.0

Rewatch Value 7.0

Awkward and Poor Script

If not because of Zeng Shun Xi (aka Joseph Zeng), I don’t think I would have continued with this drama. The writing is weird, the dialogues are weird, the logic is weird, Liang Jie’s acting and character are weird, and the English title is even more weird. The only saving grace is Zeng Shun Xi’s acting and his character which I really like a lot. This drama is set in the Song Dynasty when often the emperors had no heirs of their own and were forced to adopt their nephews as their successors.

Zhao Xiao Qian (Zeng Shun Xi) is the adopted son of the Emperor. He and his older brother were brought into the palace to be groomed as the heir to the throne. Then the Empress conceived, and the two brothers lost favor. When the Empress had a still-born, Zhao Xiao Qian’s brother died and Zhao Xiao Qian was banished to Wu Jiang Fu, a city far away from the palace. He is happy living his quiet life, until Xie Xiao Man (Liang Jie) shows up and he falls in love with her. Zhao Xiao Qian cannot marry her because of their difference in their social statuses – he’s a noble and she’s a commoner from the countryside.

Fundamentally, Zhao Xiao Qian is a good person. He's kind and caring, generous and protective towards all the people he cares about. However, he is also hot tempered, entitled, unreasonable, demanding, authoritative and abusive, all an act to cover his pain and anger. Zeng Shun Xi's acting as the explosive Zhao Xiao Qian with a lot of pend up anger is very convincing, and I empathize with this character, despite his initial verbally abusive behavior towards Xie Xiao Man, which I feel she totally deserves. For some reason, Liang Jie’s acting of the Xie Xiao Man character here is not very impressive; she feels awkward and unnatural. I don’t know if her voice is dubbed, but she sure sounds cringey.

This is a story about class struggle and the oligarchy system which imposes injustices in the society with rampant corruption and abuse of power. The writing seems childish, written for young viewers. The characters are very immature with very simple dialogues and logic. Though they later grow to become more responsible and to achieving their dreams, they remain naïve because their thinking is still simplistic. More than 80% of the drama is spent in an academic setting where the characters are acquiring their education. Initially, the theme of equality emerges - one mustn’t judge another by their birth, in particular in gender equality when girls are inspired to nourish themselves with education and contribute to the society. Then this theme fizzles out with nothing much to show.

The writer seems to be flip-flopping with the characters, in particular with the Xie Xiao Man character. On one hand, she is smart, but at the same time, her actions are pretty dumb. She is supposed to be strong and brave, and yet she is so muddle and girly, causing misunderstanding again and again, that she is frustrating to watch.

Overall
This is a youth school drama in a historical setting with a theme that says, “Education is the most powerful weapon” when the characters, boys and girls, are encouraged to value education. Then enters gender equality when girls are inspired to perform as well as the boys and contribute to society. All these fizzle out; the world is still unjust with birth statuses still being the determinant of what one can and cannot do with one's life though Zhao Xiao Qian manages to upgrade Xie Xiao Man’s status so that he could marry her; girls are still being treated as the belongings of men and cannot make their own decisions for their own lives though an independent female businesswoman is being highlighted here; the rich and powerful still rule the world though Zhao Xiao Qian manages to take down some. Flaws and plot holes everywhere, the dialogues are boring and bad. Many viewers find the OTP’s relationship toxic, and they grit their teeth watching the romance development and continuous misunderstandings one after another, and the annoying behavior of Xie Xiao Man that always angers Zhao Xiao Qian. For me, he loves and wants her, and the feelings are mutual (though she also feels insecure), that is good enough for me (boy! I have such low expectation).

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Drama Info:

Title: Time Flies and You Are Here (雁归西窗月) Yan Gui Xi Chuang Yue
Episodes: 32
Release Date: May 20, 2021
Film Location: Hengdian
Summary: The Chinese drama tells the sweet love story between overbearing county king Zhao Xiao Qian and straightforward girl Xie Xiao Man. From the beginning of treating each other as enemies to gradual acquaintances, the two go through ups and downs and break through many obstacles, finally harvesting a romantic love story.

Plot Synopsis:

Ordinary woman, Xie Xiao Man, offends Zhao Xiao Qian, the famous Julu county king of Wujiang Mansion by mistake. She is forced to marry into the prefectural mansion because of another person’s establishment of a contract with Zhao Xiao Qian.

The paper contract intertwines the two lives together. From beginning as enemies to a gradual acquaintance of one another, Zhao Xiao Qian and Xie Xiao Man go through ups and downs and break through many obstacles, and finally fall in love with one another.

Trailer:

Cast & Characters:

Ceng Shun Xi 曾舜晞 as Zhao Xiao Qian 赵孝谦
Overbearing famous Julu county king of Wujiang Mansion

Liang Jie 梁洁 as Xie Xiao Man 谢小满
A straightforward ordinary girl.

Supporting Characters

Fan Zhi Xin 樊治欣 as Zhong Zi Yan 钟子砚

Liu Luo Xi 刘洛汐 as Su Wei 苏味

Drama Posters:

Airing Schedule:

Start: May 20, 2021
Frequency: 2 episodes every Thursday to Saturday
End: June 24, 2021

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