Despite the awesome production/directing team and cast (Jiang Xin has killed in everything I've ever seen her in - girl needs a main lead role stat - and Liu Tao is always awesome), I approached this warily because modern Chinese dramas have been pretty terrible, especially ones that try to tackle the coming of age/slice of life genres. I get it - it's a hard genre to do because you have to be able to capture characters and situations that are real but still appealing, hopeful but not too idealistic, and that's a hard balance to achieve. Especially when you're trying to tell that story with a setting in China, where there's a lot of cultural complexities and social norms that don't always translate to screen well. But clearly I need to have more faith in the people who brought us the gem that is Nirvana In Fire, because Ode to Joy totally blew my mind. Although I grew up here in the States, I have cousins and a lot of acquaintances in China who are in their mid 20s to early 30s, and I know just how hard it is as a young adult in modern China, especially in a big city like Shanghai. The salary that most people get - even in smaller cities - is nowhere proportional to the cost of living (especially for housing), so if you don't have family who can give you that extra allowance every month, it's basically next to impossible to make it in the big city. Forget about the hu kou issue for a second - having a car and a house is now considered the minimum standard in a partner these days, and since young adults usually don't have the money to buy those themselves, it's on the parents to provide. And if you happen to be from the country, or if you have a family who is dependent on you as the bread winner... Ode to Joy did such an awesome job in taking a group of five unique characters and plopping them in the middle of Shanghai. They captured the struggles and obstacles of the women perfectly (the subtle social commentary was absolutely amazing and so well done in a country where dramas usually tend to act as propaganda for the government). Also - can we get a shout of joy for a great, women-centric drama? If I had one major criticism of this production team, it would be that they've done a pretty lousy job of developing good female characters (the NiF girls were strong and powerful, but way underutilized), but they've corrected that in such a major way with Ode to Joy. The five women aren't perfect at all - and honestly, there is no miracle where at the end of the drama they've done a complete 180 - they are actually still very much the same women they were at the beginning, but they've learned a lot of hard lessons along the way, and have been influenced greatly by each other. It's a beautiful thing to watch - very rarely do you get such good character development in any drama, and across the board at that! The characters always stay true to themselves - there is nothing contrived - it all feels so organic, both in how their own characters develop, and how their friendship evolves. Liu Tao's character was probably the hardest to relate to - a brilliant and successful but aloof businesswoman with an unknown backstory - but kudos to Liu Tao's natural warmth and exuberance that shone through to give her character some needed depth. I saw a lot of people complain about Wang Zi Wen's rich girl character but it was her that made this story so refreshing for me - a fu er dai with street smarts is such a joy to watch, especially since she still worked so hard to achieve what she wanted. She used people, sure, but she was usually transparent with her machinations, and she also had a heart of gold. And I thought Wang Zi Wen was great in her portrayal. Yang Zi was adorable as the happy-go-lucky and simple Ying Ying, and while Qiao Xin was borderline unwatchable in her brief scenes in NiF, I did like her here as the studious Guan Guan (and resident worrywart). In a weird way, she also annoyed me the most, if only because I identified the most with her character and it was jarring seeing her flaws (which I share in spades) dissected and probed. But Jiang Xin to me was the standout of the group performance-wise (no surprise - she made an absolutely evil character in the Legend of Zhen Huan sympathetic), and it was also her character that spoke the most to me. The situation that she faced with her family is very much a real one in China today (and real life is often worse), and it isn't one that has a real solution, because despite everything, family is family. She came across as such a wise and confident character at first, and little by little, her armor is chipped away, and the vulnerability lying within just breaks your heart. Also - the Where's Waldo game with cameos from cast members of other Shanying productions was hilarious and so much fun (I will say I had to cheat at times where I could recognize the face but couldn't remember the role that the actor previously played). I loved how the characters played off of each other and the writing was so smart and well thought out. The story did lag at times, but it's slice-of-life - it's bound to at times, and that's perfectly acceptable. There were times where I was annoyed with each of the characters in turn, but it just showed that they were being very human with their thoughts and decisions, and it often led to a very real life lesson. The guys definitely took a backseat here, and none of the love lines are permanent (yet), and I loved the way they were used - none of them were princes, but they all helped with the maturation of one of the women in some way. Xiao Xiao (Wang Zi Wen) and her doctor boyfriend (Wang Kai) was a great portrayal of the modern young couple, and I can't wait to see how their relationship develops (or fails) in Season 2 because they still have a mountain of differences to wade through. (They are also so freaking cute - I kind of want to watch When A Snail Loves now just for them). Also - can we please get a show with LIu Tao and Jin Dong in a real love line? It really isn't easy to tell the story of everyday people to an audience who is jaded and often unsatisfied with the way life is portrayed in dramas, but somehow, Ode to Joy does the impossible and delivers a show that will make you cry, make you laugh, and make you wish that you had that kind of sisterhood in your life. I wouldn't say that the show revolves around friendship, because there is still a lot of friction and misunderstanding even three quarters of the way through between some of the women, and a lot of the lessons that they learn is actually on an individual level, but it's still an integral part of the show. Props again to the production team who have now proved they can tackle any genre and take it to the next level - I can't wait to see what Season 2 has in store for us!