If this were four or five years ago, "Good Reunion" would likely have been a series that topped the trends as soon as it aired.
This was one of the most popular female ensemble dramas from a few years back—it features a cast of strong female characters and a variety of outstandingly terrible men, tackling various hotly debated gender issues online. The cast is quite appealing—Bai Baihe, Li Chun, and Wang Yuwen play three sisters. The series is adapted from the original novel "The Years of the Goddess" by the author Lang Lang from Douban Reading. Lang's last work adapted for the screen was "Double Happiness," and viewers familiar with that series can easily guess "Good Reunion's" narrative style: a constant barrage of dramatic conflicts...
Poster for "Good Reunion"
However, the recently aired "Good Reunion" has seen a rather lackluster reception in terms of viewership and discussion. It's not just that there are many competitive dramas airing at the same time; more crucially, years have passed, and "Good Reunion" still sticks to the old formula of "outstanding character tropes + melodramatic conflict + hot topics." Over these years, female ensemble dramas, along with various urban emotional dramas, have continuously rehashed this model, with viewers' thresholds for interest steadily increasing—no matter how dramatic the content, enthusiasm for discussion has waned.
Turning to the plot itself, "Good Reunion" primarily tells the marriage and emotional stories of the three sisters of the Xiang family: Xiang Qian (played by Bai Baihe), Xiang Zhong (played by Li Chun), and Xiang Nan (played by Wang Yuwen), resembling a television version of "Goodbye, Lover"—the three sisters each encounter an awful man and find themselves in three problematic marriages.
Xiang Qian is the eldest daughter, a successful career woman with keen market insight, serving as the key member of her team. Within her family, she's the pillar that supports her parents and the backbone for her younger sisters.
Xiang Qian (played by Bai Baihe)
Her husband, Gao Ping (played by Zhang Tao), is a soon-to-be-graduate PhD student who appears refined but is, in fact, selfish and scheming. In a relationship characterized by a strong woman and weak man dynamic, he feels insecure, is jealous of Xiang Qian’s achievements, and engages in sabotage against her career, eventually even cheating on her with a younger female colleague. Xiang Qian is, unfortunately, slow to recognize these issues.
Gao Ping (played by Zhang Tao)
Xiang Zhong, the middle sister, was sent to the countryside as a child due to being born out of a family plan, causing her to feel undervalued at home. This experience made her introverted and plain, creating a distance between her and her parents and sisters. However, she has a soft heart, yearning to be understood and accepted.
Xiang Zhong (played by Li Chun)
Working within the system, Xiang Zhong’s husband, Deng Haiyang (played by Chen He), is a lazy mama's boy lacking ambition and responsibility, even getting caught in a nude chat scandal resulting in a financial blackmail that drains their savings. This leaves Xiang Zhong feeling disappointed and despondent, ultimately leading her to choose divorce.
Deng Haiyang (played by Chen He)
Xiang Nan is the youngest daughter, adopted after her biological parents died in a car accident. She was cherished by her new parents, Xiang Fu and Xiang Mu, and has a simple, kind nature. A graduate of an art academy, she later started her own studio.
Xiang Nan (played by Wang Yuwen)
Xiang Nan falls in love with Jiang Hongbin (played by Yu Jinwei), a real estate tycoon who is over a decade older than her, and they quickly enter into marriage. However, married life is not the dream she envisioned; her sister-in-law constantly challenges her, and Jiang's unresolved entanglements with his ex complicate matters, especially as Jiang's increasingly evident possessiveness and controlling nature puts Xiang Nan under immense pressure, leading her to gradually disillusion with marriage.
Jiang Hongbin (played by Yu Jinwei)
"Good Reunion" somewhat continues the character tropes seen in recent female ensemble dramas—happy families are all alike, while each problematic family has its unique issues; the different personalities of the female protagonists are similar—they are all vibrant in different ways, while the male counterparts each carry their distinct flaws. Xiang Qian's husband is a cunning and scheming man; Xiang Zhong's husband is a weak and mediocre mama's boy; Xiang Nan's husband is a control freak who views women as possessions... The various dramatic conflicts stirred up by these awful men can be both annoying and engrossing. On a dull day, it can be binge-watched since it offers enough thrill without requiring much thought; the downsides are evident—everything is overly simplistic, the characters are one-dimensional, the plot relies heavily on escalating contradictions without much logic or depth.
Deng Haiyang's apathy
To be harsh, this is a star-studded, extended, luxurious version of a short drama that kills time adequately, but if you seek depth, meaning, and lasting appeal, it falls short.
Gao Ping sabotages Xiang Qian's promotion speech by damaging her USB drive, deliberately ignoring her messages and calls to derail her career advancement.
If this were a few years back, this type of drama had a stable market, especially when featuring capable and audience-friendly actors and introducing innovative topics—like Bai Baihe's previous series "Our Marriage" focusing on "stay-at-home moms" and "family duties," or the original author's last adaptation "Double Happiness," which revolved around a "wife and mistress teaming up against the new girl." It could still attract viewers. However, over the past two years, market trends indicate a decline in the impact of these types of dramas.
Short videos and mini-dramas have taken a chunk of the audience, but the fundamental issue lies with the writing itself, namely that, under the formula of "outstanding character tropes + melodramatic conflict + hot topics," there's a lack of nuanced portrayal of human complexity, situational intricacies, and realism. In a world rife with melodrama, where short dramas are incredibly addictive and reality shows dominate the charts, viewers long for stories that resonate with reality and humanity in traditional dramas—this is the strength of long-form series beyond mere dramatic conflict. If a drama can't touch the heart or provide relatable content, it's hard to stir audience interest in discussion.
Deng Haiyang in a nude chat scandal
The narrative structure of "Good Reunion," while resembling that of "Goodbye, Lover," tells a harsh truth: at least in my viewing experience, "Goodbye, Lover" comes across as far more authentic and engaging. A series that exclusively peddles topics and conflicts has been outpaced even by reality shows.
Indeed, while the male issues in the three troubled marriages of reality shows may be more pronounced, they objectively present both sides' dilemmas and challenges in marriage—showing flaws, suffering, and mutual attachment—helping viewers gain a deeper understanding of marriage and gender relations, promoting introspection rather than just reveling in the pleasure of "defeating the bad guys" or indulging in righteous indignation.
In other words, complexity is what allows viewers to relate. Character complexity means they are no longer simply good versus evil, but instead filled with contradictions, struggles, and multifaceted personalities. In real life, people are inherently three-dimensional, and while watching a drama, viewers can empathize by drawing from their own experiences and perspectives, understanding the choices and actions of the characters. The conflict of "correctness" within each character's stance adds layers of complexity to the problems, serving as a place where viewers find resonance and impact.
This holds true for reality shows, and for dramas too. This year's urban topical drama "Ordinary Song" has been well-received precisely because, despite the various topics and conflicts, it does not sacrifice complexity. It's difficult to determine who is right or wrong between Xie Meilan and Shen Lei; from their perspectives, neither seems at fault. In the midst of the debate, viewers are exposed to these varied stances, allowing for the possibility of understanding and reconciliation.
Conversely, "Good Reunion" paints all men as outstandingly terrible, which can easily incite emotion. Terms like manipulative men, mama's boys, control freaks, gold diggers, and playboys appear in various drama tropes; upon their arrival, the melodramatic scenarios unfold endlessly, inviting viewers to vent their frustrations. But such flat and simplistic characters contribute nothing to the notion of complexity; viewers will eventually tire of the predictable outrage—while reality shows maintain an element of suspense, scripted dramas have their "bad guys" conveniently dealt with by the writers, ensuring they don't escape retribution, paving the way for the three sisters to triumph in both love and career.
Jiang Hongbin gradually reveals his controlling nature
In summary, it's not to say that "Good Reunion" is a terrible show; rather, it is essential to acknowledge a trend: the creative mindset represented by "Good Reunion," which relies on "outstanding character tropes + melodramatic conflict + hot topics," is becoming outdated. In today's era of explosive melodrama, audiences have increasingly found it difficult to be attracted by formulaic and repetitive plotlines and topics in dramas, especially since short dramas excel in shock value, whereas reality shows surpass them in authenticity and depth.
This presents a warning to creators—it’s time to step out of the comfort zone and abandon outdated creative thinking. There needs to be a meticulous analysis of character personalities and destinies, crafting three-dimensional and well-rounded roles instead of relying on single-label tropes; plots should emphasize credible logic and the subtleties of the storyline rather than merely piling on melodramatic conflicts; in portraying gender dynamics, it should move beyond traditional stereotypes and shallow conflicts to deeply explore
