[Mainland Chinese Drama 2016] Return of Happiness 幸福归来

[lizzieyen]

 

Up to ep 45 (spoiler)

 

finally, some happiness and less fake AJ screen time!

1) any scenes with HM and YW are too cute

2) any scenes with HM and his grandpa are also cute

3) any scenes with HM and his secretary are also cute

detect a pattern ?  I like how HM can't cook but just buys food for dinner - he is not perfect but the boy tries! 

Were you able to find ep 46? I checked my regular site, maplestage, but the site didn't have ep 46.. 

I couldn't find it as well - I watch on viki and up to ep 45 only. 

[thunderman1]

 

Up to ep 45 (spoiler)

 

finally, some happiness and less fake AJ screen time!

1) any scenes with HM and YW are too cute

2) any scenes with HM and his grandpa are also cute

3) any scenes with HM and his secretary are also cute

detect a pattern ?  I like how HM can't cook but just buys food for dinner - he is not perfect but the boy tries! 

Were you able to find ep 46? I checked my regular site, maplestage, but the site didn't have ep 46.. 

I couldn't find it as well - I watch on viki and up to ep 45 only. 

I think Viki takes new episodes from Maplestage, particularly Chinese. This is a Chinese site and so they don't do any subbing. 

People say others take episodes from Viki, but Viki has to get licensing first for the drama in order to even begin subbing, so technically we're all taking from one another. 

[lizzieyen]

Yeah - but for some reason I can't watch this on maplestage. Works for some shows but not for all! 

[thunderman1]

Yeah - but for some reason I can't watch this on maplestage. Works for some shows but not for all! 

Hmm that is strange! I was able to view all the episodes thus far. I just checked Viki for you. they released ep 46. Might have been their error. 

I cannot believe drama is over tomorrow! Such a quick one especially when two episodes were released everyday!

 

Spoilers: 46 episodes our OTP finally got a real kiss. *giggling to myself* hahahaa!

[lizzieyen]

Yeah - but for some reason I can't watch this on maplestage. Works for some shows but not for all! 

Hmm that is strange! I was able to view all the episodes thus far. I just checked Viki for you. they released ep 46. Might have been their error. 

I cannot believe drama is over tomorrow! Such a quick one especially when two episodes were released everyday!

I

Spoilers: 46 episodes our OTP finally got a real kiss. *giggling to myself* hahahaa!

on holiday so just saw it  yay!! Such a cute proposal - this OTP is really adorable. I do think however that SW should be allowed to make his own mistakes - if he lives a life of wealth but misery, that should be his choice. I do believe in personal choices - YW has that older sibling self righteous , wants - all - that - is - best attitude - loved HM's expression when YW went to backstab SW to his boss! 

This show has been keeping me company during my break so it's sad to see it end! Really liked HM and YW - would we get to see a wedding dress? Fan girling !! 

[thunderman1]

I guess it was a happy ending? 

Spoilers: 

Fake AJ killed herself.. Thank goodness, or no? 

[lizzieyen]

I guess it was a happy ending? 

Spoilers: 

Fake AJ killed herself.. Thank goodness, or no? 

I don't think it could have ended any other way as she clearly would never accept HM with anyone else. In a way I am glad that she did not suddenly repent and changed over a new leaf - that would be too weird and jarring. I guess she grew up with HM and he may never have said he loved her but he did not say he didn't as well, until YW came along. Probably out of guilt and responsibility - for a rich unmarried good looking character, he is single although never with fake AJ - more like some grey area god brother who protects her and is with her (but not romantically in his mind). Of course it's unfair to fake AJ but he doesn't love her and unlike SW who is an impetuous child, HM knows his own mind. The worst part of the ending I thought is SW and XM getting married! That cannot be a good way to start a marriage!!

 

Although HM and YW have like only one full on kissing scene, I think they did convey their love for each other very well by all their physical contact in hugs and hand holding. When the dust settles, it is those that keeps a relationship burning! Aww love!  

[thunderman1]

After watching 6 episodes(I skimmed through on a daily basis since I was getting behind again), here are my thoughts:

I never once was bored of the plot. The actress who played fake AJ portrayed the character so well. I do agree that she was also fated to die and despite her way of dying was quite dramatic, it brought closure to us fake AJ haters. haha! *insert side comments* Take that, fake AJ! 

As for real AJ's father, erhh I don't think it was relevant. I think he should have been the 5th to die because we never saw a glimpse of him again. There were signs of him improving but it looks like the actor who played him didn't have to say a single word! 

SW and XM's marriage was indeed abrupt but they both have suffered greatly and for some reason, the writer decided to redeem him. -____-

As for real AJ and HM, both were such a realistic couple to watch. Who says you need a bed scene and a lot of kissing to tie the knot? Clearly these two were fated to be since young. I loved all their hugs and comfort they had to offer to one another. It shows that both cannot live with either. 

To sum it all up, looks like Grandpa got better and didn't let Alzheimer's take over completely; while real AJ retrieved her happiness. It was like after 48 episodes, she got most of it back within last 5 min? Wow what a story! 4 deaths total! 

One last remark, for those who do not not understand Chinese, the reason why it was subbed relatively fast is because this series received a lot of praise online and via the main broadcasting channel! 

I believe 2015 was indeed a good year in regard to modern and historical Mainland dramas! Kudos and hope to see you all in other C-drama threads @lizzieyen, @40somethingahjumma, @Ldy Gmerm

[lizzieyen]

@thunderman1 I was wondering if it was getting good ratings as the viki subbers are really quick! I can understand sponge mandarin to a certain extent but written mandarin at a very basic level only so thanks for the update! Glad to know that it is well received - hopefully will boost both Ron Ng and Li Qin careers! Never seen Tong Yixuan before but I think she did well too. 

Being Asian but western educated, it is quite interesting for me to see the difference between Asian and western dramas - grew up on TVB and mostly American TV but the increase in quality of C-dramas in recent years is really eye opening. I know some of my friends (and reading the comments on viki) would not understand why YW did not completely cut SW off despite his bad behavior and disclose that fake AJ is a fraud once GuGu went to jail but it did kinda make sense to me - SW is YW family even if they have no blood relations and while she was with the Yu family, she was cared for and treated like family despite the impoverished situation - unlike fake AJ who could not connect with YW real mom. Also I could understand why she did not denounce fake AJ immediately as that would completely ruin the Ting family image even further - she just tried to protect herself and the company the best she can.

I also did not think that HM did too much for her - he helped her yes but his grandpa did take away her company's trademark more than once so it does seem reasonable that he continues to extend help where he can. I liked that the show says that SW is actually more a shipbuilder with technical expertise compared to HM but HM is probably a better businessman. Makes it more realistic. Also the ending that familial love can be achieved concurrently with romantic love and one does not need to be sacrificed for the other or that one is more important than the other. That is a theme that is less seen in western movies where there is so much emphasis on self love and romantic love - I am all for self fulfillment and opposed against unnecessary martyrdom but excessive self love is just another road to self destruction as well. 

 

Hope to to see you around too ! What's the next new series everyone is watching? 

[40somethingahjumma]

So the show's finally done after about four or five frustrating episodes. The OTP got their happily ever after and the scales fell off Grandpa Han's with regards to fake Aijia who in turn decided to end it all by her own hand.

It's interesting watching a China style makjang if for no other reason than to see how it compares with a K one. A couple of crazy female villains who weren't past inflicting physical violence to get their way. People doing mad things in the name of love... namely SW and XM... and then it all sort of, kind of magically works itself out.

It's typical with these sorts of dramas for the female villains to paint themselves as victims despite being caught red handed. Once they go berserk, they're capable of anything but they never ever take responsibility for their own actions until they've run out of cards to play.

I didn't really like what the show did with SW... who started off as a reasonably sympathetic character who went off the rails. I imagine they needed someone who was not a bad kid, who turned bad because he got angry, and then went back to being good because he found love and was no longer under the toxic influence of his biological sister.

It's no big secret that HM's the one that kept me coming back for more. Devoted, sensible, smart and steadfast to the end. He was the antidote to all the high wire melodrama with his ideas and schemes.

It's a pity YW didn't do much sailing after the introductory phase. In the end it became more about the business of sailing which is fine but I did enjoy the big race in the early episodes and would have liked to have seen more of the navigating genius.

These kinds of dramas aren't usually my thing but I didn't mind this one for the most part.

See you all @ Love Me if You Dare.

 

[thunderman1]

@lizzieyen, oddly enough, I think that the reason why this drama received such positive feedback is due to the fact that Ron Ng became so famous in his other 2 billion view drama, My Best Ex Boyfriend. I recommend this if you have not seen it. Plot is indeed slow but it's worthwhile in order for the characters to fully develop in the long run. 

With SW, I think it would be a waste of real AJ's past efforts with her scandalous pole dancing etc if his character were to perish. After all, we have to leave with at least one rightful character in the end after the whole Yu family past away. lol 

HM---a knight in shining armour. He's always standing beside real AJ whenever she was feeling down and also watching her silently when she turned him away. Sure there were small misunderstandings, but I'm glad HM was intelligent enough to figure out the rest of her plans. As for HM's grandpa, it was clever of him to feign illness and again I also fell for his little trap. Others may too think that HM might have been obsessed with real AJ for odd reasons but overall I think he was the only one who can give real AJ the real happiness and love she sought for 48 episodes later.

I will definitely rewatch this drama in the future since I loved the comic relief it provided. Weren't ya'll entertained in every episode?? I loved her fake AJ schemed and also what the aunt did to hurt to real AJ. Without these two, there wouldn't  be much of a plot. Both treacherous characters were pitiful but I not once sympathized for them, well maybe I did just a little for the aunt because she misunderstood real AJ's grandpa's intent back in the days (she thought her grandpa had killed off her dad--pushed her dad and claimed for it to be a suicide). Perhaps this character was indeed the most spiteful out of all but now she's just rotting away in her cell. 

Recommendations: 

As for future recommendations, I'm currently waiting on Imperial Doctress starring Wallace Huo and Liu Shi Shi. If you watched Sound of Desert (many intimate scenes here), you'll soon fall in in love with her acting as the same with Bu Bu Jing Xin (aka Scarlet Heart). I don't recommend the second one because it was terrible with the whole time traveling mess in China. Wallace Huo is in current drama, LMIYD and he's pretty great as usual. Another fan fav is The Journey of Flower (Not fond of his acting here so I passed). 

I'm also on the thread, "The Legend of Qin," adapted from the animated series, Qin's Legend. I haven't watched animated series but I love the drama so far. The OST is on point!  There's no subbing yet for non-Speakers but you're more than welcome to join the thread later when I catch up. It's quite lonely there and pretty silent.  

Some T-dramas currently raved about by fans: 

Bromance and Marry Me, Or Not--I'm following Bromance since I loved the plot at first.. starting to lose its reality and fun at ep 7 but I'm still intrigued abou what else the writer has to offer. 

Marry Me, Or Not--this series is mainly raved due to the comeback of Roy Chiu and the girl (blank stare since I forget her name...). These two were the main OTP in a past favorite of mine, Office Girls.

[Ldy Gmerm]

Well thank goodness fake AJ finally bit the dust after taking out almost her whole family, trying to take out HM's and killing off YuWei's bio mom. Hopefully she has gone to a higher plane of existence to reflect on her bad behavior while alive.

I honestly felt she should have died 10 episodes prior and not at her own hands. I felt the suicide was very selfish of her to make HM and YuWei watch it as she still continued to blame them and only said she was taking credit as a means to hurt them as they have to remember this incident for the rest of their lives when they were not the ones at fault.

This girl lived the life of another and deluded herself with the Aunts help into thinking it was really her life and her place when it was not. She always knew she was in someones spot and it drove her crazy. I wanted someone to tell her over and over again this was not your life you were living it is stolen and you knew this. To think that HM belonged to her just because she grew up with him. Yeah, right! He was not obligated to like you just because you grew up with him. He was not obligated to like her just because she was in love with him.

Also Fake AJ had YuWei's real family never thinking that those people would want the real daughter back and not a stand in. It was a complete mess how she felt that YuWei was stealing something from her that was never hers to begin with. Also to think that whatever higher power was over looking her and she could do no right when she choose to not only covet what did not belong to her but to continue to try to hold on to, steal and snatch things that never were hers let alone go about taking things the wrong way.

Had she just let the real AJ come home I am sure they would not have pushed her out and would have made a place for her out of guilt. But fake AJ wanted it all and greed is a awful thing along with jealousy.

As for SW I found it awful that he was a mediocre guy all during this drama ineffective creating more problems with his antics but when he finally sees that YuWei is in love with HM and sees that he will never have her the way he wants (it was just eww on so many levels) he turns on her along with her best friend in jealousy and anger.

This woman worked her butt off for that fake family. Every penny she made they took to take care of them and their medical issues and put him through school and she was not even their blood. Yet, his real sister never met them, never called to check and never gave anything to help her real family. Choose to enjoy the life that was not hers to live. And every time she came around to talk to them she basically drove them to their death or to be seriously hurt. But he wants her to give up reaching out to her real family to just stay as his family, sister or possible love interest. smh

He never deserved a sister like YuWei because no matter how many times he did her wrong after all she did for him and his family she still tried to be a sister to him and help him when all he could see that she betrayed him in not choosing him and in wanting to go back to her real family.  That was wrong as YuWei was never a person that would have abandoned him. They lived too long as brother and sister and although she may not have lived with him anymore she would have still treated him as a sister more than his real sister did.

XM may have come back to YuWei in the end but for me the jealousy over SW was foolish as she knew that YuWei only thought of SW as a brother. To do the things she did well for me it would be a long time before I forgave or forgot or even thought to talk to her again. Both SW and XM were very lucky to have a friend and sister like YuWei.

I was happy to see HM's gramps finally wise up to the fake AJ. Her behavior in trying to kill him or hurt him again  was awesome in the fact she was finally exposed as the nut she really is. How do you justify paying someone 15,000 to push an old man down the stairs to blame another person? All for what to GIVE BACK HER HM! MMM HM is not a thing and he does not belong to her.

YuWei's grandfather gaining a bit of his senses back was fitting as well since dad seems to still be out of it. Too bad YuWei never got a moment with her family having them recognize her as theirs. She has to cherish the few moments with her mother before her death knowing her mother knew who she was instead of having the woman by her side as she marries and goes on with her life.

 They took care of Aunt pretty fast once her plans unraveled and she exposed herself by why go so far with fake AJ. Both women where dangerous and crazy making them very volatile and prone to kill someone again.

AS for HM like a typical male he thought to ignore the fact that fake AJ was so into him. He prolly figured if he ignored it and treated her like a friend and sister she would get over it. MMMM Wrong answer! With the crazy ones they just see it as encouragement as she did thinking she had a chance even though he told her no. The min he showed any interest in YuWei his real friend from the past was the moment he messed up. Not sure what he could have done because as we saw fake AJ wanted to believe what she wanted in her delusions. Including that everyone was working against her.

All in all the drama was pretty good. A little long but it was better than I suspected. I have enjoyed watching and chatting with you guys in this thread and I hope to see you guys in the next one that could catch our interest.

Thanks to those of you that supplied translations and tidbits.

@thunderman1 and @40somethingahjumma I hope to see you both in the next drama thread.. we will cross paths in.

[lizzieyen]

20 hours ago, thunderman1 said:

@lizzieyen, oddly enough, I think that the reason why this drama received such positive feedback is due to the fact that Ron Ng became so famous in his other 2 billion view drama, My Best Ex Boyfriend. I recommend this if you have not seen it. Plot is indeed slow but it's worthwhile in order for the characters to fully develop in the long run. 

With SW, I think it would be a waste of real AJ's past efforts with her scandalous pole dancing etc if his character were to perish. After all, we have to leave with at least one rightful character in the end after the whole Yu family past away. lol 

HM---a knight in shining armour. He's always standing beside real AJ whenever she was feeling down and also watching her silently when she turned him away. Sure there were small misunderstandings, but I'm glad HM was intelligent enough to figure out the rest of her plans. As for HM's grandpa, it was clever of him to feign illness and again I also fell for his little trap. Others may too think that HM might have been obsessed with real AJ for odd reasons but overall I think he was the only one who can give real AJ the real happiness and love she sought for 48 episodes later.

I will definitely rewatch this drama in the future since I loved the comic relief it provided. Weren't ya'll entertained in every episode?? I loved her fake AJ schemed and also what the aunt did to hurt to real AJ. Without these two, there wouldn't  be much of a plot. Both treacherous characters were pitiful but I not once sympathized for them, well maybe I did just a little for the aunt because she misunderstood real AJ's grandpa's intent back in the days (she thought her grandpa had killed off her dad--pushed her dad and claimed for it to be a suicide). Perhaps this character was indeed the most spiteful out of all but now she's just rotting away in her cell. 

Recommendations: 

As for future recommendations, I'm currently waiting on Imperial Doctress starring Wallace Huo and Liu Shi Shi. If you watched Sound of Desert (many intimate scenes here), you'll soon fall in in love with her acting as the same with Bu Bu Jing Xin (aka Scarlet Heart). I don't recommend the second one because it was terrible with the whole time traveling mess in China. Wallace Huo is in current drama, LMIYD and he's pretty great as usual. Another fan fav is The Journey of Flower (Not fond of his acting here so I passed). 

I'm also on the thread, "The Legend of Qin," adapted from the animated series, Qin's Legend. I haven't watched animated series but I love the drama so far. The OST is on point!  There's no subbing yet for non-Speakers but you're more than welcome to join the thread later when I catch up. It's quite lonely there and pretty silent.  

Some T-dramas currently raved about by fans: 

Bromance and Marry Me, Or Not--I'm following Bromance since I loved the plot at first.. starting to lose its reality and fun at ep 7 but I'm still intrigued abou what else the writer has to offer. 

Marry Me, Or Not--this series is mainly raved due to the comeback of Roy Chiu and the girl (blank stare since I forget her name...). These two were the main OTP in a past favorite of mine, Office Girls.

Did Return of a Happiness get 2 billion views too? Hooray if they did. Will definitely try Legend of Qin but probably need subtitles as my mandarin is not that great to watch wuxia shows!!

[thunderman1]

@lizzieyen, it didn't receive 2 million views like My Best Ex Boyfriend but it was indeed popular amongst Chinese audience viewers.

I'm holding off on Legend of Qin. There's too much going on right now!!

[budgerie]

Ron Ng acting has improved & he matured into a handsome man too! The last I saw his drama was Triumph In The Skies (Hong Kong drama) some many many years back. Both he & the female lead got good chemistry in this drama. Yes, you really don't need those intimate scenes to have good chemistry. I like the bro-sis relationship between the female lead & her brother (yes the bro likes her). I can't stand most is the fake AJ mother. The one who acts as fake AJ got lots of crying scenes & she pulled it all off very well. I also like the sailing scenes. 

 

[budgerie]

Ok, finished watching the drama. However, episode 45 & 46 cannot be found so i don't know what happened there. The FISH family generally are selfish people. The mother blamed the real AJ for ruining her daughter life (fake AJ). Is like, hello, who swapped the children in the 1st place. I like the real AJ as a kid. She looks pretty cute. The fake AJ & her bro are obsessed with love. It ruined them but thankfully the bro came to his senses while the fake AJ didn't. The real AJ acted in another drama IF ONLY I LOVE YOU or ONLY IF I LOVE YOU she has long hair & looks good there too. She got a sweet face.