Popular drama about family life perturbs viewers
Print Edition
In Shakespearean drama, 鈥渁ll鈥檚 well that ends well.鈥 But that isn鈥檛 the case with a Chinese TV drama entitled 鈥淎ll Is Well.鈥
The highly-rated series has provoked heated debate online, fed by disgruntled viewers angry about an ending they call contrived and unacceptable.
The drama has been popular from the start, even tying in ratings with the iconic Spring Festival Gala aired on China Central Television on Chinese New Year鈥檚 Eve.
It tells the story of a Beijing woman named Su Mingyu, who overcomes gender discrimination at home and becomes a successful career woman. When her mother dies suddenly, Su is drawn back into the troubled family web of her father Su Daqiang and her two irresponsible elder brothers. The trio, seeing how successful she has become, try to milk her at every turn.
Viewers were appalled when the two parents showered all their attention and money on the two sons but refused to pay for Mingyu鈥檚 college fees. They were outraged when one of the brothers beat up Mingyu.
Then, just when viewers assumed that Mingyu would finally leave her toxic family for good, the denouement took a sharp turn. Her father is diagnosed with Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, and Mingyu decides to put her career on hold, at least temporarily, and stay home to care for him. She forgives her parents for all their shortcomings, believing that they really loved her and did their best.
鈥淎ll Is well鈥 is adapted from a novel of the same name that was first serialized online before being published in 2012. The author, whose pen name is Ane, has declined to comment on the TV version, though the ending deviated from her novel finale.
In the original version, the father doesn鈥檛 lose his mind and Mingyu gets married but refuses to invite her family to the wedding. She leaves on her honeymoon in an emotional void, realizing that she doesn鈥檛 hate her family anymore but doesn鈥檛 love them either.
Yao Chen, the actress who portrays Mingyu, defends the end of the TV series.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 a 鈥榟appy ending,鈥欌 she commented on Weibo. 鈥淩ather, it鈥檚 a tragic reality. Su Daqiang鈥檚 love for his daughter is only revealed after he loses most of his memory, and Mingyu realizes that she can love her father only when he can鈥檛 respond to her. This is all about missed love in life.鈥
Many fans, however, have no love lost for the finale.
On Douban, a large social networking site that offers a platform for movie, music and book reviews, commentators said the ending sets a bad example for gender discrimination in families.
鈥淣ow, abusive parents may be encouraged,鈥 according to a comment posted by the screen name 鈥淓njoyBeautifulTimes.鈥 鈥淚 am a Su Mingyu in real life, and I hoped my parents might understand my pain after watching the show, but the truth is, next time they will probably use it against me.鈥
Another commentator, 鈥淪agittariusDemon,鈥 said she found the ending devastating.
鈥淚f the writers wanted to tell people that blood ties are stronger than anything and you can do nothing to change that no matter how hard you try, then they succeeded,鈥 she wrote on Douban. 鈥淚t is just unreasonable that one small spark of softness can neutralize all the past mistreatment.鈥
Xu Peng, a psychologist and therapist, said many viewers were so angry because they identified personally with Su Mingyu. She struck a chord with people who struggle with family abuse and neglect but are still expected to be loyal and devoted.
鈥淢any of my clients, especially women originally from the countryside, are now working in Shanghai,鈥 Xu said. 鈥淭hey talk about maltreatment by parents who still expect them to shoulder family responsibilities. The ending of 鈥楢ll Is Well鈥 is very impractical. In real life, you can鈥檛 have such a major emotional change without actually changing anything.鈥
Even before the show was aired on TV, the topic of abusive parents was prevalent in online debate.
On Douban, a discussion group called 鈥淎nti-Parents: They screw you up, your mom and dad鈥 attracted around 120,000 members until it was 鈥渓ocked鈥 from public view by the platform in 2017, nine years after it started. The name came from a line in the Nick Hornby novel 鈥淎 Long Way Down,鈥 except that it substituted 鈥渟crew鈥 for the F-word in the novel.
Group members were largely young girls, who shared stories about how their parents hurt them in the name of love and discussed what could be done to escape the abuse. Some of the comments were very aggressive, expressing sentiments of suicide, self-injury and revenge.
After the group caught the attention of mainstream media, it was criticized as 鈥渢oo cynical in the extreme鈥 and locked out from public viewing.
Although gender equality is a basic state policy in China, the legacy of its rural past has left its mark on today鈥檚 society. In some farming areas, the absolute authority of parents and gender discrimination still prevail.
鈥淐hildren from abusive families, such as girls from families with gender discrimination, develop low self-esteem,鈥 said Xu. 鈥淭hey believe that they can mend relationships with parents only by endlessly giving in, but that is actually not the case. When their parents鈥 behavior is based on gender, there鈥檚 not a lot they can change.鈥
He added, 鈥淭hey need to review their relationship with their parents and decide if their parents are worth their devotion.鈥
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
