I am in awe - this is such a relatable, well written, and REAL story about women approaching their 30s as they go through various trials and tribulations in their life relating to their career, marriage, relationships etc. While the story itself may not necessarily be 'new' or 'original', our female characters experience tremendous growth and actually FEEL like real characters that you can relate to and want to call your friend. If you enjoy female centric stories, this is A MUST WATCH. What I love is that each character ends up defining what happiness means to them and them ONLY, without letting society and others dictate what they should do. All 3 women also have a strong backbone, unwilling to let anyone step on them or push them around. This goes against the typical dramaland stereotype of female leads being portrayed as weak minded and in need of a man to 'save' them. Finally, the friendship displayed between the 3 of them was such a joy to watch and will make you wish you had a friendship as close as theirs.

CHARACTERS
Gu Jia - Competent, courageous, and intelligent. As a seemingly perfect housewife/mother/businesswoman that looks like she has it all, she starts out wanting to keep up with the Joneses as she strives to better herself and her family. Out of the 3 characters, she arguably faces some of the most challenging obstacles, especially in regards to a cheating husband and business dealings - will she overcome them in the end?
Man Ni - Independent, confident, and determined. A tenacious sales assistant who moves to Shanghai and works hard to rise up in the ranks, but also faces obstacles when it comes to love and her career. While there are times where she doesn't know what she wants, she decides that growth, change, and freedom are more important to her than settling for a life of comfort and familiarity.
Xiao Qin - Kind hearted, simple minded, and endearing. Compared to Man Ni and Gu Jia, Xiao Qin is not as ambitious and sometimes a bit naive in her thinking. However, I loved her the most because I saw myself in her - having being babied by her parents and her husband, she started out as someone who was overly reliant on others. Through the drama, she grows from an ordinary office girl to one that is able to creatively express herself professionally while defining herself and what she wants along the way.

Other characters, such as the husbands and boyfriends, serve as great compliments to the leading ladies. There are some men who you will absolutely DETEST in the drama, and others who also end up growing and maturing. For example, I started out really disliking Xiao Qin's husband Chen Yu and how selfish and nonchalant he was. Throughout the drama, certain events will change his perspective on marriage, which also affects his relationship with Xiao Qin.

STORY
As a character driven drama, a lot of what happens with the story is a result of the situations and dilemmas that our characters are faced with. The story itself presents itself with familiar themes and makes you ponder questions like "Is it more important to be filial to your parents and how they want you to live your life, or to honour how YOU want to live your life?" "Is marriage and kids really the only way for a woman to be happy in this day and age?" With all the obstacles that are thrown at our female leads, one thing that never changes is the undying support the girls have for each other. Men may come and go, but your friends will be there for you when you need them. Some of my favorite scenes were when the girls were comforting each other as they each encountered different struggles. Ladies, if you have a BFF as loyal, caring, and loving as the girls in Nothing but Thirty, hold on to them because you'll be set for life.

ACTING
Sublime acting from the leads as well as the secondary characters. Everything felt so real. The acting felt so genuine that I felt like I was watching a reality show of 3 ladies in Shanghai navigating life in the big city. Even the detestable husband and his mistress acted so well to the point you can't help but despise every minute they are on screen.

SOUNDTRACK AND OTHER
The music matched the drama amazingly well, along with the beautiful cinematic shots of Shanghai. I also want to comment on how beautiful the fashion was - if you want some fashion inspo for women in their 30s, this is the drama to watch! The ladies all had their own style and pulled off every look in a stunning fashion. Additionally, it was interesting to see how WeChat conversations were weaved into the story. The WeChat edits made it feel even more real, especially with how prominent the app has become in everyday life in China.

SHOULD I WATCH?
Is this even a question? I have not watched many Cdramas but this one will stay with me for many years to come. Quarantine is the perfect time for you to binge dramas, especially dramas that are female centric, uplifting, and EMPOWERING - and what better place to start than with Nothing but Thirty!