Drama digest
The drama provides details about the lives of ordinary civilians amidst the great change in Chinese society. At the end of the 1970s, the Zhou family lived in a provincial city. Zhu Zhi Gang, the father, has participated in the third front movement in Xi Nan. Zhou Bing Yi, the eldest son, responded to the national call to become a part of the frat batch of educated youth. The youths were sent to work and live in a rural area. Zhou Ring, the eldest daughter, followed her husband to the countryside of Guizhou. Zhou Bing Kun, the eldest son, was left at home with his mother. The Zhou family was swept with the tides of changes over the span of fifty years. Zhou Bing Yi entered politics after he graduated from the university. He experienced ups and downs during the drastic reforms. After receiving her Ph.D., Zhou Rong stayed on to teach. Her love life is complicated, and she ended up staying in France for twelve years. Zheng Juan is a beautiful but misfortune woman. Zhou Bing and Zheng Juan developed feelings for each other, and continued to mature through their efforts. The Zhou family represents an epic tale about the Chinese people fulfilling their mission in life. Relatives and friends learned to move forward together.
The feel-good part
The drama is praised for its down-to-earth style, fleshed-out characters, and practical portrayals of the influence of China’s sliding social changes.
The disappointing factor
The falls short at pacing. The story drags at some points, despite covering a timeline that some for five decades. The drama was unable effectively bridge the two genres of family drama and a period piece.
In-depth analysis
The drama focused on the Zhou siblings, who began the story as teenagers and were sent far from their home during the cultural revolution. Bingyi and Rong were launched into prestigious careers in the Party and academia, respectively. Bingkun represented the everyman who must tough it out as a blue-collar worker amidst the deindustrialization. Specific themes present the politics. Bingyi and Rong’s eviction from home during the cultural uprising depicted youthful adventures. In the second half, Bingyi epitomizes the model cadre and place people’s interest above his own. These politics-heavy subplots were not added much to the overall story. As the economy takes off and the drama’s timeline approaches the present day, the lives of the characters improves. The drama is not depicted by a triumphalist straight sequence. The characters ended up in a better position from where they started.
Star power
The cast was amazing, and they depicted ordinary people’s life perfectly. It didn’t feel like they were acting; it looked like it was their life that they presented on screen.
Overall opinion
A Lifelong Journey is adapted from the novel of the same name by Liang Xiao Sheng. It was an award-winning novel that showed the detailed life of ordinary folks pitched against social changes. The drama touched on the enduring cultural significance and explores the evolving dynamics alongside China’s economic and social reforms.
