Touching family drama, MUST Watch <3
I had high hopes for this drama seeing how Bai Yu and Rachel Mao (Mao Xiao Tong) were both in it and it did not disappoint.This drama is a good for those that want a change of pace from the usual rom-coms. There is romance, yes, but there is also family and problems, but a happy ending nonetheless.
If you are going through a tough time this drama might help in some way or form, maybe not as guidance or as a how-to to deal w/ certain situations, but it makes you reflect and think deeper about your values and yourself.
The story was relatable and heart-wrenching in a good way. Yes, there were a ton of annoying characters that annoyed me throughout the series including Ye Xiaolang (I knew she was gonna be a pain), Qiao Simei (I'm glad she grew up towards the end), Qiao Zuwang (it would have been better if he just abandoned them altogether imo, but whatever), and all the other people that hindered the 5 siblings from living a more peaceful life.
Each sibling's stories and family were developed and the different problems made it seem realistic though I did wish there were more scenes of Qiqi, who was the main reason I started this drama.
I'm glad this drama did not have any of the main characters end up going on the wrong path due to their lack of parental guidance and each character all had their own personality that they brought to the table. The actors that played each character portrayed it so well that I almost forgot that this was a drama. The different characters also reminded me of myself or the people around me (family, friends, etc.) and I'm sure many viewers could relate in some aspect or another to the people in this drama.
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One of the top cdramas of 2021.
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.
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A down to earth portrayal of real life
I never write reviews but I can't help but find a source to express myself.The dramas portray the life of the Qiao family over the period of nearly 25 years. They go through both Ups and Downs together. We see both the greedy and sacrificing nature of the Older Brother. He is the life of the show. He is the one who binds down the family together. He is too proud to ask for help. He is there for everyone when they are in trouble. He is like a pillar of support on which his siblings grow on. He is flawed. He is human.
This is not your overbearing CEO drama where the ML. Don't expect Fluffy scenes.
This is a Family drama. You will see the warmth of the family. You will see the argument between the sisters on who does the Elder Brother dotes on the most. You will see the Elder Brother trying to guide the teenage rebel siblings into the right path. You will see characters making mistake, you will see them overcoming those mistakes. There are cheaters, there are self characters...
Its just refreshing and Amazing.
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This review may contain spoilers
Once in a while you come across drama series that resonates with you even weeks and weeks after you finish watching the drama. The Bond is such drama. I have finished the drama almost a month before writing this review and to me, it felt just like I just finished the drama. I still miss my regular evening watching the Qiao siblings' life. I like their interaction and how strong their siblings' bond is and how they struggle through everyday life with their deadbeat single. The siblings stuck together since they lost their mother giving birth to their fifth brother. These siblings took care of each other, particularly the big brother who is really like a dad to them. I like how real the relationship is, that it's not always smooth and they bicker and fight many times, but when it comes to siblings bond, they can always depend on their siblings in good and bad times.
I like how the drama follows the siblings from when they were children until they grew up, have careers and have a family of their own. I thought the actors and actresses that played the four siblings (and the father) did really well as YiCheng, ErChiang, Sanli and SiMei. There is superb character development here until the end.
This is one show that I really really enjoyed this year. One of the best ones I've watched and I can see myself re-watching this in the future.
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Blood is thicker than water
First time watching a drama based mainly on siblings and I must say that I really enjoy it surprisingly. Qiao Si Mei is definitely my favourite character here. Qiao Qi Qi is my second favourite and I must say that he deserved way more screen time.Characters:
Qiao Zu Wang (the father)- Ok I really dislike his character as he was really selfish in the beginning but then he did become better in the middle when it came to Si Mei's love life problem. But then his character got worse in the later episodes until like the last episode when he called out his children's names.
Qiao Yi Cheng- Honestly, I really like him when it comes to him protecting his family but as a husband, I don't think so. He does have a few love interest and only the last one lasted. Honestly, his first wife was so uggghhh. I didn't like her at all and didn't get why Yi Cheng even married her?! But luckily his second wife was good enough so it wasn't that bad. Yi Cheng's character is really hardworking and kind to his family. But he doesn't like to beg people for things and get things done by himself without wanting the other person to know.
Qiao Er Chiang- I really like his character and that he and Si Mei are quite similar where both are willing to go over the extra mile just for their love ones. His bond with Si Mei is also really sweet and loving and I like how they were always helping each other up. He is a really honest man with a kind and good personality.
Qiao San Li- She is strong and smart. I love her relationship with Yi Ding and is really supportive of her husband. She is also really close with her brother and looks up to him (Yi Cheng). Mao Xiao Tong did a good job in portraying San Li.
Qiao Si Mei- My favourite in this show! Her strong will and belief when it comes to love can be touching for others. She is a very carefree child with a strong and stubborn character and loves getting into trouble. She can be mischievous at times and serious at other times. Her fashion sense is definitely on point and I love how she dresses up just for herself to see. Si Mei is one that has plenty of dreams and ended up quite successful since the beginning when she started working. However, her love life may not be as smooth but I'm glad she pulled through and went on with her life.
Qiao Qi Qi- I think he deserves way more screen time!! It's so unfair for Qi Qi as although the rest of the four siblings are really close and they all have a good relationship, somehow I just don't get how they could actually neglect Qi Qi so much. Luckily there was Wei Min (their cousin) who helped bring Qi Qi up otherwise it'll just be so sad. Like I get that the rest of the siblings were upset over their mother's death but Qi Qi shouldn't have been neglected by them even though their dad wanted to let their aunt raise Qi Qi up.
Overall, I really recommend everyone to give this show a try. TBH I came here just for Lareina Song Zu Er, but I ended up liking this very much. All the actors did a really good job as well.
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Family is Everything.
Family is everything.I've had this show on my list to watch for awhile and I wanted to be in the right mood before I start it. This drama is not for the faint of heart. It's a very intense, angst filled, yet endearing and cry worthy kind of show.
You will be angry, happy, sad, fustrated and a ball of mixed emotions while watch The Bond.
The drama is what in its name, its the Bond of the siblings. There are 4 main siblings and the baby siblings which has a minor role.
The star of the show is the oldest brother, Qiao Yi Cheng, he is the heart of the show and the glue that bonds the siblings together. The two bothers and two little sisters only have themselves to rely on because their father is worthless.
It's a drama that spans decades, from childhood well into adult hood where the siblings have their own children. Each will face different problems and battles and each will fall in love and have their own issues. It's interesting how different each story is.
I wouldn't say there is much romance in the show. There are love sparks and relationships, but not everything is perfect and there isn't always a fairytale ending, but in the end, Family is everything and will always be there for you.
If you are looking for a melodrama to get sucked into, this will be it. It's not an easy drama to watch, but it really makes you appreciate your family, especially if you have a sibling that is you ride or die (which I do have).
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What is Love, Actually?
Wow. What a lovely family drama. Each of the four main Qiao children are explored - their strengths, their flaws, and their growth. Yicheng ("Success") is the eldest and most responsible child, and took on the burden of raising and protecting his younger siblings from a young age. He wants to protect people from making mistakes so much that the people around him are stifled and he never gets to do what he wants to do. Erqiang ("Strength") is the second brother - quiet, honest, and hardworking. He falls in love with his teacher earlier on and remains dedicated to her despite disapproval and judgement from all sides. He hones his craft, cooking, slowly but steadily and owns up to his mistakes, endearing himself to those around him. Sanli ("Pretty") is the third child and eldest daughter. She's patient, careful and loyal, but skittish around others as she was molested in childhood. Simei ("Beautiful") is the rambunctious, passionate fourth child and youngest daughter. She says what's on her mind and lives life like an adventure, often to her elder siblings' chagrin. Qiqi ("Seven") is the baby of the family but raised separately with a reserved personality. He often feels like he's watching live unfold rather than living it.The characterization, story, music, and pacing of this drama is phenomenal. You will love almost all the characters - yes, even the selfish dad has a slight redemption arc. The theme is that a family bond, if nurtured and prioritized, is stronger than all else. The unfortunate part is that not all characters get the same screentime, with Simei's forgettable love story repeating itself over and over again when I wanted to learn more about Erqiang's trials and tribulations. I can't be the only one who laughed when Simei saw Qi Chenggang and was stunned by his so-called beauty when her own brothers are much more handsome. I also wish we had more time to explore the cousin's love story and how his relationship with his siblings deteriorated to this point. Throughout the story, you explore the different facets of love and what love actually means to each of the Qiao family members.
This is one of the only dramas I wish there were more episodes, rather than less. That is how engaging the story is. Highly recommend!
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family drama that shows blood is thicker than water
This is a good family drama that should be set as a benchmark. I came here mainly for the casts but ended up to find myself emotionally attached to the Qiao siblings. First of all, the casts of this show is top notch - i believe one that watched enough chinese dramas will atleast know Bai Yu and Bai Xiao Tong. To put them together with Wan Yi, Song Zu Er, & Yi Ran the chemistry is amazing. The show started off when they are young when Qi Qi their youngest brother was born till all of them have grown up. The pace and development is great. Each of the Qiao sibling's character shine in their own way & although it makes me frustrated and upset at times, but when they come together it just seems like they got each other's back & everything can be resolved.Qiao Yi Cheng, the eldest brother - the person that held the greatest responsibility in the family since young because of their useless father. QYC is a character that came off as someone with low self esteem, yet also putting a lot of pressure on himself. What i felt throughout the show was that he didn't share he feelings even to his siblings because he felt like as the big brother he should behave a certain way. I particularly liked his r/s with Ye Xiao Lang his first wife, their conversation with each other is very realistic, and although they seem compatible at some point, it eventually shows that QYC is not as ambitious as YXL and maybe his siblings is something he cannot put down in life. I rooted for him a lot in this show hoping things will go well for him because his life just seem very tiring.
Then we have Er Qiang, the truest to himself out of all Qiao family. Very quiet and reserved guy but will fight for what he wants. He does seem more "lost" in life, but he treats people with a lot of care and respect. I am happy that he never doubted his choices despite the whole world telling him otherwise, which eventually proves that he made the right decision.
To the sisters, I love San Li so much. She is very understanding and polite and seems to be know what is the right thing to do and say. I adore her r/s with Yi Ding & i rooted them throughout the whole show. I love how she shows a different side to her when she was in a r/s and married, a more 'defiant' side that she never shown. Yi Ding and her characters just seems to blend well together. And we have, Si Mei that vainest off all but her only saving grace is that she love her brothers and sisters a lot. Very brave in everything she does. Had a love-hate r/s with her actually, but she eventually grew on me. Also, to the others that made an impact but appear lesser, e.g. Qiqi, Wei Min, the aunt, all of them form a great bond together.
In all, this is a good family drama that is worth watching.. and the script writing is something that is worth paying attention to.
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Still thinking about the Qiao family
[ spoilers only at end of post ]I stumbled upon this drama by chance after seeing it pop up on my Douban app while looking for something new and I am so glad that I did! It's been about a week since I've finished watching this title and I am still thinking about the drama and wishing that it were just a little bit longer (can they please do a sequel of them in 2020 LOL)
Prefacing this by saying that I normally do not seek out dramas that aren't happening in the modern era but thought that this one would only be spending a little time in the 70s and fast forwarding to now but that wasn't the case at all. Within a span of 36 episodes, you really get to grow up with the Qiao siblings, watching them go through each phase of their life. I will say that the timeline of the drama is a bit confusing to me. There were moments where I thought maybe a few months had passed, but it was actually a few years. However, there is no real indication to when certain time skips might happen (particularly when all of the siblings are older and they are no longer being played by a different actor because of the age).
The acting of this drama blew me out of the water as they really brought me into the story that they were living. While I'm not a fluent Chinese speaker and was watching this without subtitles, I was still able to grasp onto most of what was happening simply with just watching the body language and listening to the tone of how they spoke.
My family and I sped through the first few episodes very quickly but my mom was also reading spoilers on Chinese sites while we were watching as we were behind and so she was tempted to stop when people started talking about how the drama was becoming nonsensical and stuff; however, we pressed on and I'm so glad we did. I do think the drama ended a tad bit abruptly as there was a LOT that happened in that last episode, but it at least tied everything together well and wasn't one of those endings that leaves you feeling unsatisfied (even if I do selfishly want more).
The side characters also add a wonderful touch to the storyline and didn't feel overbearing or unnecessary. However, nothing can beat the love and care that these siblings have for one another. An emotional roller coaster but a lot of fuzzy warm feelings that come from witnessing such a bond.
If you haven't watched yet, you might want to skip the below because ~SPOILERS~. And if you have watched it, I would love to know your thoughts on these random thoughts I had while watching the drama!
1) For the longest time, I had no idea what the point of Qi Qi's character was, though, now that I've finished the drama, I can certainly appreciate his character a bit more and the purpose of why he's necessary. However, I honestly still don't understand the plotline of having him knock a girl up and having a baby. Was it to force him to mature quicker? Didn't really understand the point of this but maybe there's a nuance I didn't understand.
2) I would love to better understand how these characters decided to get married because it felt like there was no chemistry that built up between the characters that would make me believe there was love between them. However, perhaps most of it is a marriage of convenience? And also maybe why those marriages ended up in divorce?
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BEST SIBLINGS EVER!
(SPOILER ALERT) Finished this drama after 3 days! What a great drama! 10/10. I SMILED, LAUGHED AND CRIED A LOT! This is one of my favorite Chinese drama! I love all the siblings! Each of them have a special place in my heart. I want to have a big brother like Yicheng and Weimin, they always come to the rescue to their family and always think of them before themselves. I want to have a big sister like Sanli, she's doesn't show her weakness to her siblings, she's always there for her siblings. I love how she always come to comfort and worry for them. Erqiang's love for Suqin amazed me! I want to eat what he cooks. I want to have a brother like him too. Even if he doesn't show it a lot, he really cares for his siblings. Si Mei is actually so funny. Every scene of her makes me laugh. Yes, her wrong decisions always annoyed me but at least she doesn't chose the right one in the end and find her own happiness not depending on man alone. I'm so happy for her and I'd love to have a cute sister like her too even if sometimes she's annoying, she always choose to fight for her siblings. Qiqi got less screentime. It's sad, but I'm happy that he gets to bond with his siblings at the end. I love his relationship with his cousin which he treats him like real brother. His child really looks like him. I just wished he got more screentime. The father annoyed me A LOT! But I can't help but to laugh at him at times since he's so funny especially when he demands something to the siblings. In the end, I really pitied him. I hate that nanny turned to (unmarried) wife. Glad she got kicked out in the end. I'm glad the father still gave to the siblings what they deserved (the house), and still thinks of them until the end.The side characters were also lovable. The cousin's wife, Yicheng's 2nd wife, Suqin, NanFang and YiDing are the best partners! Glad they're with my fave sibs and cousin. I really hate Chenggang. Annoying cheater! But I'm glad he still supports her daughter even after the divorced and have a good relationship with the Qiao fam. YiCheng's friend, QingYuan was also great! I love their friendship and i want to have a good friend like him! YiCheng's ex wife was so annoying! I don't like her in the first place. I hate how he divorced YiCheng but I'm glad they didn't end up together. Erqiang's ex wife annoyed me too, another cheater, but I'm glad she confessed in the end that his child is not Erqiang's. QiQi's wife too!!! I hate her the most!!!!!! Qiqi and their daughter and ever her parents doesn't deserve her. I hate her so much! I'm touched that her parents didn't let go of Qiqi.
The Aunt (their cousin's mom) was also nice! I love her and her first and second husband. They continue to support and helped the Qiao fam until the end. Overall, I enjoyed watching so much! I'm so glad I watched this!
This is the 2nd chinese drama about siblings that I've seen. The first one is Take My Brother Away (2018),, I want this kind of genre about siblings relationship. Can someone suggest me a good drama focusing on siblings relationship please?
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Such a moving series
This series is such a beautiful and heartfelt story. I cried and cheered for the Qiao family.Such a powerful portrayal of difficulties and struggles, courage, discovery, success, maturity and growth, devotion, commitment, love, compassion, generosity and freedom, during a time of so much external change between the late 1970s to 2005. Each character goes through such a journey. Bai Yu’s portrayal of Qiao Yicheng and Liu Jun’s portrayal of Qiao Zu Wang are masterful. The entire cast is so talented. This is a series I am sorry to see end. What a wonderfully rich story of family love; it is not always pretty, it is not always what we expect or desire, but the core is an unshakeable bond that is nurturing, empowering and genuine love. It is so relatable on many levels.
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Family
This drama is really underated. Watching it for the first couple episode make me realize the important bond between sibling. From the story acting everything is just perfect. Love the big brother role here as he step up as a man for his sibling. My favourite couple here is the third sibling and her husband, it is just so warm. As much as I hate the father in this drama, it also make me realize how much you hate your parent in the end it is still your parent. Whether you like or not at some point when they were really gone I think you will really miss them.This drama is really recommend for those who love family, slice of life.
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