Islands Reviews

During the Lunar New Year, who does this drama disgust? They're still in the boyfriend-girlfriend stage, but instead of staying home and celebrating with their parents, they run off to the boyfriend's house. As soon as they enter, they're subjected to superstitious and backward activities like jumping over a fire pit and drinking random concoctions.
How cheap can they be? The boyfriend's grandmother uses cheap tactics to make her faint, and the mother and grandmother at home are genuinely upset, but she doesn't seem to care. It's as if her mother would have been better off giving birth to a piece of char siu (barbecue pork) instead of her.

Currently at episode 8 and 9, overall it's a great drama. Xu Fan, playing the mother, is like a headless fly, annoying and irritating. Even through the screen, you feel suffocated. But when you see her head banged and bloodied, struggling and not getting any appreciation, you can't help but feel sorry for her.
Staying up all night to grind walnut powder for her daughter, hobbling with a sick leg to Shanghai to cook for her daughter. She's exhausted, hoarse, and behind her irrationality is a husband who is selfish and indifferent to the family.
Her whole life depends on her daughter, and she has to establish her own identity through being a "mother." It's a character that you both love and hate, and Xu Fan portrays it brilliantly!

Ma Si Chun's pure and natural performance is really noteworthy. You can tell that she and her current partner have a strong chemistry on screen. She always portrays a character who is constantly obsessed with love, regardless of the person involved.
Although her mother is suffocating and her way of showing care is inappropriate, it's quite surprising that she went to the guy's house during the Lunar New Year, even though she doesn't have a proper status, and she even took contraceptive pills by herself.
Thankfully, she has her aunt. Ma Si Chun's acting skills are really poor. Song Ning Feng also portrays his character authentically. He thinks he's doing it all for the sake of his child, but he falls short compared to his daughter.
Thanks to the director and writer, after watching this, I definitely choose to remain single!

The versatile Ma Si Chun. The TV drama's approach of exposing problems, creating conflicts, and then resolving them doesn't really have a positive impact on improving societal values. The heated arguments filled with sarcasm and urgency only drive away young viewers, leaving behind the same old audience who still hold onto outdated beliefs like "Meng's daughter must come home for the New Year" or "Your zodiac signs don't match with my grandson's" or "Are you being so proactive at work because you're interested in your boss?
" Do you really hope that these people will have a sudden awakening and genuinely repent?

Xu Fan, you're amazing, your acting is powerful, but I just can't take it anymore...

It's quite realistic. Meng Ming Wei is the eldest daughter, mother, wife, sister, aunt... everything except herself. She has devoted herself entirely to her family, losing her own soul in the process. She has always been concerned about others, but she has never cared for herself.
Portraying the modern middle-aged woman, this drama represents the inner voice of many people. It tells every woman that she can live her own life. We can refuse, we can strive, we can make big money, we can choose to pursue or not pursue our own love, and we can have our own life.

Of course, this drama also has its flaws in execution, but I really like and appreciate the overall plot. It's not just an ordinary family drama; it represents the collective reflection of countless women.

Lack of originality, poorly developed female characters. The female doctor's drive for further education revolves around her infatuation with a returned overseas student, and the aunt who pursues her career cannot balance family and work.
Then there's the second aunt, who excels in the workplace with the support of her superiors, but hesitates to divorce for the sake of family harmony. Li Yi Jin, burdened by both her family and the workplace, undergoes a classic transformation.

The most anticipated character growth would have been the core character, the eldest aunt, but even her development is not driven by self-motivation; it still relies on familial motivations to achieve self-worth.
The male characters are all stagnant, while female characters are expected to endure and sacrifice. This kind of value system is detrimental to countless women, and it's disheartening to witness.

Family ethics dramas have gone crazy nowadays. The early stages just piled up all kinds of conflicts arising from generational differences, making the whole family seem like class enemies. It's as if they're one step away from lodging complaints and reporting each other to the authorities until someone ends up killing someone else.
In the later stages, they forcefully wrap things up in an unrealistic and perfect manner. In the end, it's either sacrificing the fundamental interests of a character, trying to move them emotionally while leaving the issue unresolved, to create a harmonious ending, or it's the death of an elder that forcibly brings the family back together through love.
In reality, the differences in consciousness are not resolved at all, but the love manages to bridge the gap... It's like watching a trivial family drama, even more fantastical than the supernatural dragons in Game of Thrones!

Xu Fan brings to life a mother who is controlling, timid, and yet dedicated to her responsibilities. Xu Jun portrays a father who is lazy, idle, and hypocritically arrogant.
Li Cheng Ru has limited screen time but captures the essence of a despicable scumbag and deadbeat dad. However, there are evident shortcomings. Liang Jing and Li Xiao Ran, two modern women, seem to exist in a sheltered environment like delicate flowers, while Ma Si Chun and Sun Qian are reminiscent of youth campus dramas.
The whole adaptation feels fragmented between two storylines, which is a bit regrettable. The biggest failure lies in the name change.

Ma Si Chun's comfort zone - a daughter constantly oppressed in a matriarchal family. The inherent reason for her lack of resistance is that she actually revels in the pain brought by suppression. It feels like she belongs to the "love pain" group.
There's a scene that captures it perfectly. After a big argument with her aunt, she goes out to make a change. She focuses on changing her appearance rather than her essence. After discussing the whole big plan with the hairstylist, she immediately says, "But let's start with cutting my hair first." And as soon as she steps out, she runs into her ex-boyfriend.
It's like a tailor-made script.

I've watched several episodes and the portrayal feels very authentic, whether it's the tense or seemingly happy family dynamics or the relationship between spouses, it all feels real.
I can even find similarities between myself or the people around me.

Oh my, I really like Sun Qian, both on and off the screen. "Even though I'm a girl, I don't need anyone to protect me." Women's power!
In addition, I suggest that all companies promote the establishment of nursing rooms for mothers and infants! As for those who gave low ratings, I feel like they should watch idol dramas that appear to be beautiful, where the sweet coating of sugar covers the numbing poison of distorted values, keeping people oblivious and leading them to decline.

Meng Ming Wei is actually a pitiful person. From a young age, she has shouldered the responsibility of being the eldest in her family. Due to her limp and less-than-beautiful appearance, she was forced by her dominant mother to marry someone she didn't like.
She endured grievances and suppressions throughout her life. In her melancholic days, her daughter became her only hope. She believed that by being strict with her daughter, pushing her to study hard and avoid bad company, she would excel and become an outstanding individual.
However, she overlooked the fact that sometimes, the tighter the love, the more suffocating it becomes.

A rare ensemble drama with a focus on the supporting cast, where the roles of actresses from different generations clearly outweigh those of male actors. The only downside is that the original title involving "She" and "Her Islands" was changed.
Xu Fan's performance is consistent as always, starting off with her distinctive tone and style, perhaps due to her extensive experience in stage plays. Liang Jing delivers a comfortable and natural performance, while Ma Si Chun has ample room to showcase her talent.
The supporting couple's chemistry is also decent. It would have been great if there were more scenes featuring Teacher Song Chun Li. I retract my previous bias against Director Lin Yan and Yang Xiaopei.
Looking forward to the six sisters.

It's really amazing, so those who blindly give it one star should watch it further. The influence of the native family on a person is immense. Parents of young children should definitely watch more and not cling on without letting go, my friends!
As someone who has been through it, I truly envy Nana. Growing up in a native family that values freedom and democracy has shaped her into having a healthy and proactive personality, pursuing what she wants.
She even went on to earn a Ph.D. and has a great boyfriend. She can see a bright future ahead of her. I want my son to be like that too. As a mother, I need to work even harder!

I couldn't continue watching after the second episode. The men in these three families are either irresponsible, living off their wives, or cheating. It's unbelievable that all the daughters have love on the brain.
No, the eldest daughter is simply clueless. They've been dating for 6-7 years, and I have no idea what the guy's parents are doing. The second daughter is harboring a childhood crush. Haven't any of these men shown their daughters their flaws?
The parents and children in this drama are all portrayed in such a negative light. It's annoying to watch, especially during the festive season.

Not bad. The three sisters' family upbringing has shaped their children differently. The original family molds the children's personalities, as children are replicas of their parents. The eldest sister is insecure, sensitive, and vain, with strong controlling tendencies, influenced by self-sacrificing parents.
Her husband is negligent and indifferent, creating a parasitic daughter. The second sister is confident, generous, and independent, raised by progressive parents. That's why Tao Shu Na is confident and brave. Tao Shu Na is incredibly confident!
She's amazing! A female doctor!

The concept of 'Chinese-style parents' is outdated, and I'm not interested in watching it anymore. When you create something, it should have practical significance. Even if you want to portray so-called 'Chinese-style parents,' there should be a fearless resistance and rejection, resulting in the audience breaking free from these constraints.
But when you tiptoe around, trying to please everyone, it ultimately ends up pleasing no one. Or perhaps, in this world, it has truly been divided into countless different little worlds, and this film is not intended for someone like me in my world.

After watching four episodes, I must say the pacing is great and the plot is tight. I love seeing a female ensemble cast that feels real and relatable. I resonate with it.
I also love that it's an all-female lineup. Please make more of these.

The comments about the daughter wearing dark-colored clothes, not dressing up, and not attracting men are things I've heard from my own mother.
Even thinking back on it now, it still makes me feel sad, as if it's my own fault. Women are not born to please men, and women are not meant to sacrifice themselves for the sake of taking care of the family.
Before certain men habitually belittle women, they should take a good look at themselves and think about what skills they possess. Objectively, I would give it a rating of four stars, but the malicious one-star comments in the comment section are just too much.
So, I'll give it five stars.

This drama is adapted from the serialized novel "She and Her Archipelago" on Douban Reading, written by Yi Nan. Qiao Hai Yun (played by Song Chun Li), a strict and decisive family matriarch, has always enforced a rule that everyone must return home for the Lunar New Year.
No one has ever broken this rule until the most obedient third generation, Li Yi Jin (played by Ma Si Chun), unexpectedly breaks tradition and spends the New Year at her boyfriend's house, causing family conflicts.

Qiao Hai Yun has three daughters. The eldest, Meng Ming Wei (played by Xu Fan), is not her biological daughter. Due to her self-esteem issues from being lame, she hopes her daughter will succeed and their relationship with Li Yi Jin is very tense.
However, in the end, they understand each other's difficulties, and they finally realize that maintaining an appropriate distance is the key to maintaining a good mother-daughter relationship.

The second daughter, Meng Wan Qing (played by Liang Jing), and her academically successful daughter, Tao Shu Na (played by Sun Qian), are considered a perfect mother-daughter pair.
However, these two who share everything unintentionally discover each other's secrets, and the process of getting to know each other again is also a process of self-discovery.

Three stars, plus one star for the feminist theme. Although it's somewhat unrealistic and not thoroughly explored, daring to create and showcase feminist ideas is a victory in itself.
Kudos to the female-led creative team! However, the plot is not novel enough, not realistic enough, and lacks impact. Around the 20th episode, the conflicts are resolved, and the pace slows down.
It feels like the story could have ended there, but there are still twenty more episodes, which really bored me. In terms of feminism, a revolution that is not thorough is equivalent to no revolution at all.
I hope there will be more impactful and high-quality feminist works in the future.

I just watched the first few episodes, and Li Yijin's character is so frustrating. During the Lunar New Year, she secretly goes to her boyfriend's house without informing her family, and she ends up being treated poorly.
She's forced to do things like stepping over a brazier and drinking chicken blood. Why? What kind of feudal superstition is this, insisting that the woman must do these things based on horoscope compatibility?
And the boyfriend's grandmother, at such an old age, is so rude. Does such a thing happen in real life? They're not even married yet, and it's her first visit. Making her step over a brazier because of horoscope incompatibility is just ridiculous.

The beauty salon was playing, watched it for a while, it's really ugly. Not the kind of ugly that's entertaining, but the kind that's annoying and makes you wish you were back in your hometown listening to your aunt nagging you to get married.
Xu Fan really knows how to annoy people with just a few words from her mouth, makes you want to run eight thousand miles away. Li Xiao Ran has an impressive appearance, aging gracefully and becoming even more sophisticated.
Other than that, there's not much to look forward to. It's 2024, but why are Chinese dramas still stuck on the topic of career women only talking about investments? It's laughable.