A Thousand Goodnights (2019)

So teeeeechnically, I have one episode of this left, but my thoughts and feelings about this drama are totally set at this point, and I know the last episode isn't going to change them, because I know the last episode is going to be just as superb as the rest of the series has been, so I'm writing my review now.

And yes. That is the sum up of my review. I think this series is superb.

Why do I think that? It's very, very simple.

Tian Qing is a compelling character, struggling with questions about her identity and coming to terms with the answers she ends up discovering. Her journey to understanding and acceptance is heartfelt and truthful and speaks deeply to that desire in all of us to know who we really are. Cheng Nuo's journey of dealing with his past and allowing himself to heal from it and forgive his family for their mistakes and failures provides so many lessons on what it really means to love those around us and let ourselves live a full and meaningful life. And Tian Qing's adoptive father, Jia He, the foundation upon which the entire story is built, is so honorable and upright and kind that you love him immediately. You understand just what a profound impact he has had on the people around him and feel compelled to emulate him in your own life, to be that kind of person yourself.

This is a drama about healing and forgiveness, identity and knowing who you are, being true to yourself and true to what you know is right, living a life of service to others, and doing the right thing even when it's hard. It's a drama about truth, and that is why I love it so much and think it so incredibly superb. (The cinematography is also absolutely stunning and lush and vibrant, a character in and of itself. The drama's worth watching solely for that if none of the other reasons compel you.)

The only thing that is going to push people away, and I hate that I have to make this caveat, but here we are...

Is that this drama is slow.

It's an unfortunate reality in Asian drama world, that slower dramas that focus more on character and story then creating thrills and excitement simply do not get the praise and recognition they deserve. Instead, they're called boring, or uninteresting, or poorly written, or some other unfair and unflattering insult. And as I'm sure you can see from some of the comments and other reviews here, this drama has received it's fair share of those insults as well. But believe me when I say, those are not fair critiques. A slow drama is not a bad drama, and to rate a slow drama as bad simply because it is slow is poor reasoning. It's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, and as I said in my review for another similarly paced drama, Andante, they aren't typically mine either.

But I watched this, and I felt something. I watched this, and I appreciated the characters and the story. I watched this, and I'm glad I did.

Now this is technically where the actual review ends, but I have some further, broader thoughts I want to share that aren't directed solely at this drama, so if you're interested in reading them, well then here they are, lol.

Minus Fated to Love You (my first ever drama) and the Started with a Kiss series, I didn't watch any Taiwanese dramas for the first however many years of my drama watching life, preferring Korean over pretty much every other country (for context, I've been watching dramas about ten years, maybe longer). However many years ago though, I dipped my toes into Taiwanese dramas again with Just You, and loving it to pieces, decided to give some other Taiwanese dramas a try. There was Office Girls (high marks from me, even if I did find the female lead frustrating), Aim High (very strong and enjoyable start that got me invested, but then devolved into obnoxious, annoying, uninteresting drama about one of the secondary romantic couples and completely ignored everything else the drama was Supposed to be about), Miss Rose (dropped without even meaning to, because the story stopped being interesting, and I can't even remember anything that happened now), King Flower (I tried so hard with this one and just couldn't make it through), Easy Fortune Happy Life (Hate It), P.S. Man (also Hate It), I Do2 (they got one decent episode in before completely ruining the entire thing), Rock n' Road (I wrote an entire blog post where I re-wrote the drama to make it actually good), and Pleasantly Surprised (it...bored me? I guess?). Which the exception of three dramas, I dropped all of these. And one of the three I finished (Rock n' Road), I did so out of obligation.

So as you can see, I had very little luck with Taiwanese dramas the last time I tried to get into them, and because of it, ultimately stopped attempting to watch them altogether. They didn't seem to be very good, I wasn't enjoying them at all, Korean dramas were checking off all the boxes on my drama needs list, and there are so many dramas out there anyways that why waste my time on ones I clearly am destined to not like?

Well, I think I can unequivocally say that if this is the direction Taiwanese dramas are going in now, count me back in, because this was a compelling story from start to finish, and I like being compelled to watch something because it's good.

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The Most Underrated Drama

This drama will forever have a special place in my heart. Not only is it a joy to watch, but it contributes to a special moment in my life for my father and I’s relationship.

When I first put this masterpiece on, it was like love at first sight; from the beautiful places in Taiwan, the emotional story of a one of a kind soul, and the endless life lessons and quotes that truly hit the heart so hard you rethink your entire life.

For any of us that are on this site, it’s probably because we love the dramatic plots, crazy twists, emotional roller coasters, and the unrealistic, yet beautiful love stories Asian dramas have to offer. Those kinds of dramas are always what we look for, but this drama is what we all need, but didn’t know we did. It’s an emotional, beautiful, heartfelt, and more realistic twist on an average drama that just somehow makes it that amazing. We still get the romance, the drama, the mystery, the twists, and the beautiful story, but it’s presented in a way that I’ve yet to see in a drama; a way that grasps your heart so hard it’s not easy to let go.

Plot:
The plot is a story about an insanely kind father’s death leaving behind 2 beautiful daughters with the mysteries of his life. We’re then taken on a beautiful train ride through the beautiful places in Taiwan experiencing the beauty, the people, the traditions, and the legacy left by the star of the story. We also get a look at his daughter’s growth and discoveries not only about their father, but themselves as well, along with the support of their lovers.

Cinematography:
The feel-good, calming, and emotional visuals truly made this story even more enjoyable to watch. It was never boring.

Why it’s so important to me?
My father and I don’t get to spend a lot of time together, but while I was just starting it, my dad came and sat in the living room. Keep in mind, he doesn’t ever watch with me, but this one made him put his phone down and watch and ask questions. The emotions on his face said it all, he really liked it and was feeling the emotions presented just as much as I did. I glanced back and forth at my dad and the tv and I remember tearing up and thinking, “I’m so lucky to have my father by my side always there for me”. I know a loving father isn’t something everyone has, but this drama truly made me realize the value of his presence in my life as well as give us the opportunity to spend time watching this beautiful story together.

This may sound cheesy, but I truly cannot express how therapeutic this drama is to watch. It’s definitely a slow-burn drama, but never boring. When you’re really in your feels, this is the best one to watch for sure!! I’ve never liked a Taiwanese drama, but this truly captured my heart.

Thanks for reading :)

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I loved the series, the story was good, the music was nice and soothing. The acting was nice, the scenery of the movie was beautiful.

I have never been in Taiwan, but I just love the landscape, the mountains, the ocean views are so beautiful. This series almost gives you a tour to Taiwan and at the same time you enjoy watching a story.

I find the story has a good paste, the romance part is very light, and it was ok with the balance of the beautiful views.

I did enjoy the story and I would probably watch again and enjoy the beautiful views.

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Beautiful and Mellow Healing drama that also feels like a documentary

Completed - 3/7/2022 - 8.25 rounding up to 8.5

“A Thousand Goodnights” is a beautiful, healing drama about family, dreams and people in your life. It also gives me a feeling that it’s part documentary and part tourism promotion of Taiwan. You get to travel to different parts of Taiwan, learn about small town/village traditions and livelihood. Following the train route mapped out by her deceased father, Tai Tien Ching (FL) completes the journey that her father couldn’t.

I would recommend this drama for those who enjoy:
1. Slower paced, healing drama where you get to feel, listen and experience what the characters are going through.
2. Beautiful landscapes and scenery of Taiwan - hills, mountains, ocean, islands, etc.
3. Learning about small town livelihoods and traditions
4. Different dialects spoken - Mandarin, Taiwanese and Hakka
5. Wisdom and life lessons through dramas

I also would suggest not binge-watching this drama as each episode is about an hour and 15 minutes long. Due to its slower pacing, I think 1-2 episodes a day is good. When I watch 3+ episodes a day, I lose my focus and get bored. It wouldn’t be fair to judge a drama due to my binge-watching habit.

After Station Master Tai retirement, he planned out a trip to different places along the train routes to visit old friends. But he was unable to do so and his older daughter Tien Ching wanted to complete the trip for him. Following her father’s mapped out route, she discovered different sides of her father that she never knew. She met her father’s friends and learned many life lessons throughout the journey. The trip actually did not take up as many episodes as I thought it would. I thought the majority of the drama would be about the trip itself. Actually, I would say only about 50% of the drama took place in different Taiwanese towns and villages. The rest is spent back home. There’s enough going on at home surrounding our FL, ML, 2FL and 2ML (don’t want to give out spoilers).

Romance does not take center stage in this drama. However, the two romance storylines we have give viewers two very different flavors. The romance between Tien Ching and Chen No is quiet and mature. They understand and support each other. They have honest and open communication. There’s no cute fluffiness or public display of affection. Actually, Tien Ching never straight up tells Chen No that she likes him. But you find glimpses of sweetness in their conversations and actions. And you know they care for each other deeply without any big declaration of love. On the other hand, the romance between Tien Yu and Po Sen is more of a typical rom-com romance. They are cute together and will flirt with each other. When the drama transitions to them from Tien Ching’s trip, the transitions seem out of place and weird. At times, I do think their romance and 2ML music career change the tone of the drama. I am not sure if it’s a good or bad thing.

The music and the cinematography are beautiful. There are many scenes of mountains and rivers, fields and ponds, islands and trains. The background music complements the scenery so well, without overpowering the sounds of nature (birds chirping or ocean waves). For me, I heard different types of music - from Disney-like, to classical music, to historical drama-like and big Hollywood music scores. I am not a music critic but I really, really like the background music in this drama. I also read that the opening and closing themes are specially written for this drama. The songs are beautiful as well.

Other Observations:
1. Station Master Tai seems to be the most perfect character ever.
2. I love his station master decal on his cell phone case.
3. For some reason, I don’t like how FL behaves - not sure if it’s the character or the actress
4. Why break the cute elephant banks when you can take money out from the bottom?! All for drama’s sake!
5. First time seeing a drama using Facebook Messenger as the chat app.
6. What happened to the studio’s financial crisis?
7. I do think the drama could be a little shorter.

Lastly, I love the last episode - gives me warm fuzzy feelings. “Good Night’ can mean -
I Love You
I Miss You
Thank You
I am so thankful to have you in my life
See You Soon
Good Night, Sweet dreams

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"Beauty co-exists with its wounds"

If a person wrote a love letter to Taiwan extolling its people, land, food, and history it might look like A Thousand Goodnights. An adopted daughter sought to finish her father's rail trip of exploration and found an unfinished story needing reconciliation. Later in the drama the journey diverted off the main itinerary into melodramatic territory stranding passengers hoping for more scenic destinations yet still continued the search for meaning between generations and what constituted home.

Kindly Station Master Tai Chia He took an abandoned little girl, Tai Tien Ching, home and raised her as his own along with his daughter, Tai Tien Yu. On the day of his retirement, Cheng No, a young man he had corresponded with through the years returned to Taiwan. Chia He set out the next day on his long awaited rail journey complete with itinerary in hand. When Chia He unexpectedly died Tien Ching and Cheng No decided to finish his trip for him. Along the way they discovered relationships that needed healing-a first love, a birding club, an old friend's birthday party gathering, and a child who needed a family and desired to be a station master.

New friends were made and new family members discovered and romance blossomed along the way. The drama dealt with healing the sins of the past and the problems of the present. It covered a multitude of issues-infidelity, lost parents, dementia, plagiarism, gambling and the trials of becoming an idol. The older generation learned from the younger generation as the younger generation learned from the older generation.

I loved seeing the beauty of Taiwan and learning about some of its history. The rail travels were my favorite part. The healing message and reconciliations were heartwarming if a little too simple. As one character said, "I really miss those days when we traveled together." Me, too, buddy. The story lost some of its magic when it veered off course.

The biggest problem I had was the female lead, Tien Ching. As one character asked her, "Were you born to be exploited?" She was terribly bland and being an artist could not be used as a substitute for actual interesting characteristics. She mumbled quite often and had trouble standing up for herself which led to people taking advantage of her. The actress who played her was limited to pursing her lips and darting her eyes around to convey emotion. Her every movement looked staged and awkward and very rigid in comparison to some of the more natural performances around her.

Overall, A Thousand Goodnights conveyed the value of handing down our stories from generation to generation as well as expanding the friendships to the next generation. Most family and friendship problems were handled respectfully and with compassion. The characters also found the value in home and family and not letting past family heartaches determine how they would treat each other in the present. This charming drama showed not only the beauty of Taiwan and her people, but also how we are all tied to the earth and to each other.

5/31/23

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The star of this drama is, beyond a doubt, Taiwan. The beautiful areal shots of its landscapes, estuaries and short visits through its agricultural, cultural, and textile resources are all cleverly intertwined with the storyline to make you appreciate the beauty of Taiwan. I certainly want to visit now, thanks to it, as well as learn more about the poet Chi-po

The drama starts off strong. We have a kind railway stationmaster who is much appreciated by his neighbors, celebrating his retirement. He has plans to take the train around Taiwan and visit places he's never been to, as well as revisit people and places he hasn't seen in years. What grabs you from the get go is this man's extraordinary kindness. How he has touched the lives of so many people as a stationmaster is amazing, and movingly played by Chen Bo Zheng. He is so warm and approachable that he makes you wish he was your Dad. When tragedy ensues, his eldest daughter makes up her mind to fulfill his dreams of travel and gets to know the man that was her father through the eyes of others. In the process, she learns to face her own demons of the past. The drama is often told in flashbacks, so we never lose the focus of the piece, which is the stationmaster's love for Taiwan and its people. He is the glue that keeps the drama running.

Close to the middle of the drama, the focus begins to fall more on the drama which takes more of a soap opera feel. The acting is so-so and the romance between the main leads very noncommittal. The chemistry really isn't there. The acting of the FL is very depthless at times. I just couldn't quite get a feel for who she was. She seemed closed off and boring. Her younger sister, played by Pipi Yao, was much more alive and fun. I even appreciated her unrequited romance much more than the former, as it felt more relatable. I didn't find our FL likable at all. She seems nice but very much the pushover. The drama attempts to make us believe that she grows into a stronger woman who stands up for herself, but it's half hearted and unconvincing.

Towards the end the drama seems to meander, with the weakest episodes being about the festival. It feels as if they wanted to talk about the cultural heritage of Taiwan but not sure how to work it in. In about two episodes, they brought in a bunch of new characters that didn't compliment the story in any way. However, I do appreciate the purpose of the series which at the last episode, becomes a mini documentary of climate change and how it affects Taiwan as well as the planet.

I would recommend this to travelers.

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More than the sum of its parts

In the footsteps and in the spirit of the late filmmaker Chi Po-lin, A Thousand Goodnights weaves the story of a people into the story of a land. As expected and as required, the cinematography makes the island of Taiwan the true star and that is what you should really come to see.

Did you come for romance? While individual characters come close and their hearts meet, romance is not the point. The romance is with the land and with the notion of home. People love and live within that context. This is more about reconciliation, about healing both the land and the people.

The story begins with a travelogue that becomes more charming every episode. Each destination raises questions and the determination of the leads to answer all of them and find closure is beautifully portrayed. The way in which the characters grow together is natural and organic and reminds us that love does not need to have fireworks. I was not terribly fond of the Yilan arc from ep 14 to 18, which had much family melodrama, but the story recovers and I had no regrets about watching it in the end.

The casting was, as far as I can tell, careless and not done by expert hands. The acting was very uneven and by far the weakest part of the series. I only really loved Yao Ai-ning and Yang Jie-mei in their parts, and the old veteran Chen Bo-zheng was acting circles around the whole lot of them. I really, really did not even want to look at Lu Bei-an's character. My biggest problem, though, was that I could never bring myself to like the lead even though I liked the character's design. I don't like her looks, I don't like her acting, and something was so weird about her elocution that it sounded off even to someone like me who is not at all intimate with spoken Mandarin.

I don't usually make separate mention of the music but this one contained a rather interesting mix of both soaring and intimate documentary music with songs about romance and longing mixed in. Just when you think you're getting tired of the piano in the background it does something to make you forget that it's there.

I felt that this series was created by artists who wanted nothing more than to pay tribute to a master of the arts and to tell me what they love about their people and the country they live in. So yes, I'm scoring some of its individual components lower but in the end it's about how much I liked it and I am also rating the work for the vision and the heart that went into it.

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As a drama funded by Netflix I had high hopes. On Episode 10 and thus far the pacing is extra slow. It’s beautifully shot and well acted but for the most part pretty lackluster in excitement. I mean I wasn’t expecting car chases or gunfights but it’s really boring. The sub plots lack any sort of interesting payoff. Each of them, thus far, is pretty pedestrian. Sad to say as the idea for the drama is fairly good.

On the up side if you like scenic long shots of the countryside and pan overs of food you won’t be disappointed. Just hasn’t been enough for me.

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