Foreword: Driven by the desire to learn how to write reviews of dramas and movies, I have intermittently watched about eighty to ninety percent of the TV series “The Most Beautiful Time,” which recently captivated the nation on Hunan TV. It took me quite a bit of time, which is rare for me. Consider it a settlement and farewell to the past, and it was worth it!
Zhang Ailing once insightfully revealed the nature of unrequited love in the world: “Meeting you, I become very low, so low that I sink into the dust, but my heart is joyful. And there, a flower blooms.”
The female protagonist Su Man’s feelings for Song Yi, who appears with a halo, are just like that—soft and touching, infatuated and heartbreaking.
From her teenage crush on basketball player Song Yi, Su Man desperately chased after his footsteps. Because of his offhand remark, “I’ll wait for you at Tsinghua,” her infatuation vividly displayed the irresistible allure of love in her unblemished youth. For Song Yi, she worked beyond imagination to get into Tsinghua. She arrived, but he left. Later, when he returned and joined McGrath, Su immediately resigned from her high-paying job to follow him into McGrath. Her lingering imagination of him from the past made her so submissive that even asking, “Do you remember me?” required a thousand twists and turns of hesitation.
Her love for him grew day by day in a game of hide-and-seek with time, lasting for ten years. For a woman, this is an epic tale; how could it just end? Therefore, no matter how good the belatedly arriving Lu Licheng is, he could never surpass Song Yi. Unfortunately, Song Yi is a tragic figure who lost his old love and is deeply mired in pain. How can a man with a sense of atonement love properly? Even if Song Yi had moments of affection for Su, it’s understandable why he would shift his feelings so quickly when the sister of his old love, “Malatang,” appears with a moth-to-flame intensity. It’s comforting that he eventually bids farewell to his sorrowful past and wants to return to Su. This man is also worthy of love.
As for Lu Licheng in the series, I guess all female viewers find it hard to clearly outline such a perfect lover—charming, successful, deeply affectionate, and omnipotent… No wonder he is praised online as “Lu Licheng, cultivated over ten thousand years.” In Su’s life, Lu’s appearance can be described as nothing short of an angel descending. When she encounters trouble at work, he secretly helps her; when she suffers the loss of a loved one, he is still by her side. The shrewd and astute Lu, who dominates the workplace, becomes so cautious and tender in the face of love. He tolerates her coldness towards him, neither pressuring nor distancing himself, always guarding her like an angel. Even his straightforward expressions of love are so hard to articulate. In reality, men with such a core are incredibly endearing. Whether you love him or not, his love is always there—no sweet talk, no clever words, no burden.
The open-ended finale broadcast by Hunan TV has been criticized by many fans because the director left the decision to the kind and loyal audience, who had to imagine for themselves whom Su chose, or if she chose neither. By the end, I genuinely wanted to say that both Song Yi and Lu Licheng are first-class classic good men. Su Man is fortunate and happy to receive their sincere respect and love. Su Man deserves it; her persistence in love, her loyalty in friendship, and her passion for life make her lovable. Such a wonderful woman has every reason to be happy. After two years of reflection in the mountains, whether she chooses Song Yi or Lu Licheng, she has the potential to make ordinary days bloom with flowers. Personally, I feel Su is more likely to choose Song Yi. Song represents a dream from half her life, and when this dream returns to her, tangible and touchable, she will not let it go. This aligns with a normal woman’s psychological need for self-satisfaction in love. As for Lu, he can only be the angel who arrived a step too late and will always be remembered.
- by Jessie