In all my years of watching Asian entertainment, ten in fact, very few times did I encounter stage settings that are realistic and not overly glamorous or overly gloomy. Even fewer times did I find stories in the background of little colonies consisting of ordinary families. What I found even fewer times is a setting similar to what I mentioned, in a Chinese drama. So much so that I often wonder if they really believe that everyone in that country lives in a lavish apartment in a bustling city and drives a nice car and wears suits like they cost nothing. Even more so in their Republican Era stories which almost always consist of luxurious clothing and beautiful scenery. And here is where this drama is so different. They actually showed a period in time as it actually was in terms of stage setting and costumes and the overall vibe. That is the biggest reason why you should watch this drama. It is a love
letter to that specific period of time and it's people.

As I was in awe of the setting I really did not pay much attention to the story at the beginning. It is a very slow burner but I expected that. What I did not expect were the occasional high tension moments that made you glue your eyes to the screen. In a long story you get multiple stories and every story has its climax. The climaxes in this story are so high tension that you wonder how it was so calm just a few episodes ago. The tension grows gradually and it reaches a feaver pitch then it calms down. Chinese drama are not always this strategic in their execution of episodic television.

The characters are equally unique both in their personalities and characterization. The three main characters, four, I should say, emphasizes different traits of human nature. The elder brother, as if by designation is the calm rational head of the family, the middle one, again as if by design, suffers from inferiority complex, and the younger one, is like a mad dog. It is the fourth main character that is a puzzling one. Yet she is the one whose appearence moves the three sworn brothers to three different direction. And it is with interactions with her that their individual moralities take shape. Yet she is the one who is the most reserved in her demeanor and interactions. But when she does show vaunerability she can break your heart.
Special mention goes to all the supporting actors especially the family members.

I am not going to say much about the acting since it might lead to spoilers but I can assure you that you won't be disappointed. This is one experienced cast and they all pull their weight .

In seventy episodes I must have skipped the opening credit at most three times. That explains something. There are some instrumental that are appropriate for the mood and period and I love it.

To finish it off I would recommend it if you have patience to sit through a bit longer exposition than normal. But I promise that the payoff would be one to remember for a while.