Drama Review: Living Toward The Sun

40

Rating

★★★★

Episodes

40

Drama Digest

The drama portrays a girl named Xiong Dun’s life. The ups and downs in her life and her brave ways of facing everything with a smiling face. Xiong Dun is a young cartoonist who has recently moved to Beijing after convincing her parents of a dream of becoming a manhua artist. She finds housing and clothing and settles to focus on her aims, but life throws some curve balls one after the other. Her boyfriend got caught cheating on her, and her work had a few setbacks. Even after that, she goes on living when doctors find her tumor. Her life becomes depressing and dark, but she still holds on to her hope and keeps a smile on her face. After a while, she gains strength with the help of support from her friends and family.

The Feel-Good Part

The realistic depiction of a girl fighting a critical illness like a tumor was heartbreaking yet encouraging. Even with its depressing plots, the show reminds us of the value of life with a pinch of humor. The show had great storylines and well-built characters. The main character was strong, fearless, and straightforward and faced everything without giving up, and she also had the best character arcs to watch. The pace of this show is much faster than expected because of its gloomy plot. The acting was also done well by the entire cast. Moderately accurate medical procedures depicted helped make the show base more authentic in its form.

The Disappointing Factor

The pace of the show drastically slows down at the end. Xiong Dun’s character shows some questionable behavior that can be off-putting to the audience. The show tries hard to acknowledge every subplot, but because of too many sub-stories, it fails to maintain the main plot track. The show has less amount in romantic aspects between the lead couples, which might make the audience disheartened because of their static chemistry.

In-Depth Analysis

In this show, Xiong Dun is an average girl who sifts from the countryside to Beijing to fulfill her dreams of becoming a manhua artist. But she suddenly finds herself fighting against the tumor. Even though she suffers, she smiles and faces it with bravery. Her friends and family support her in her journey. The show focuses on Xiong Dun’s life when she goes through personal and professional problems. Not only Xiong Dun, but it also gives a glimpse into everyone’s life related to her.

Star Power

Liu Jia Cheng is the director and screenwriter alongside Jin Guo Dong. Jiang Xin plays the female lead Xiong Dun, Gao Wei Guang plays the love interest of the female lead, Doctor Lin, Ning Dan Lin portrays the role of Xiong Dun’s friend Ai Mi, and Gao Xu Yang plays Zheng Zhong in the show.

Overall Opinion

The show has a capturing and moving plot with realistic portrayals of a girl with a painful illness. The show points out the importance of life and a strong sense of living life to its fullest. The show is a roller coaster of emotions that will be with audiences for a long time. Though it has some drawbacks, it still portrays an encouraging and full of spirit vibe that will help audiences connect. It is an underhyped gem to watch.