Thirty but not thriving
A new hit Chinese drama explores the pressures faced by young women
"Nothing But Thirty" follows three women as they navigate careers, marriage and childrearing
Books, arts and culture
by R.M.L.
BY THE time Chinese women turn 30, they are supposed to have dismissed their youthful fancies and passions in favour of a stable domestic life. At this age, many parents hope that their daughters will have secure jobs, be dutifully wed and the mother of at least one child. This expectation was partially established by Confucius, who said that "at 30, one must stand firm", and the proverb is often cited by elder family members when reminding youngsters to get their personal arrangements in order.
"Nothing But Thirty", a new Chinese drama airing on Dragon Television, encourages viewers to think differently. It follows three friends living in Shanghai whose lives are all far from perfect as they enter their fourth decade. Gu Jia is married to a successful man, lives in a beautiful apartment and has a loving young son, yet she struggles to find her place in the upper echelons of society. Zhong Xiaoqin has a mindless but steady office job and is married to the only man she has ever dated, whom her parents love. An unexpected pregnancy and sudden miscarriage magnify the flaws in her marriage and lead to a heated divorce—an event that she hides from her family for as long as she can.
Wang Manni, meanwhile, is single, works long, thankless hours as a sales assistant in a luxury store and can barely afford the rent on a decent apartment. Her parents are eager for her to return to her hometown of Suzhou and settle there after eight lonely years, but she is hesitant to give up her hopes of a better life. (Wang Manni's predicament is all too common among women from smaller conurbations and towns in China who have migrated to bigger cities for work.)
Through these characters, "Nothing But Thirty" paints a convincing portrait of the anxieties and fears of Chinese women, particularly with regards to their relationships, careers and health. Parents play strong supporting roles in the show (as they do in real life) and although all three women are deeply concerned about the physical and emotional welfare of their families, they also have minds and wills of their own. Respectfully but firmly, they remain true to their own desires rather than yield to those of their elders.
The series has taken the internet by storm since it had its premiere in July: to date, a hashtag linking to posts about the show on Weibo, a popular social-media platform, has been viewed more than 26bn times. Some of the most heated discussions revolve around the show's bleakly realistic depictions of marriage in modern China. Many fans have expressed anger at Gu Jia's husband, who falls for a scheming younger mistress. In contrast, Zhang Xiaoqin's husband is good-hearted but grumpy, sparking debate about that which can and cannot be fixed in a relationship. Fans have also greeted the show's depiction of the world of work with delighted, or appalled cries of recognition. The three heroines are shown tackling that treacherous environment in their own ways, relying on their humility and honesty to guide them despite the unsavoury intentions of social-climbing colleagues and dishonest business contacts.
The show is being hailed as the latest triumph in the country's "she generation" TV genre, which celebrates female independence and strong-willed characters. The heroines succeed in shattering the archetype of "good wife, good mother, good daughter" that is so closely entwined with turning 30 in China, and they emphasise the importance of living on their own terms. (They do this through a few cheesy moments that are spent jumping on a bed in a fancy hotel after a bad break up, or holding hands and yelling over a field of tea leaves that all will be well.) In an interview with Beijing News, the show's producer, Chen Fei, explained that the essence of the show is about rebranding 30 from an age of "must" (obligations, compromises) to "just" another year—the chance to embrace a new set of opportunities. "Nothing But Thirty" lives up to that mission, albeit across a whopping 43 episodes. Then again, undoing 2,000 years of history takes time.
More from Prospero
The Bosnian war
A haunting retelling of the Srebrenica massacre
The Marvel Cinematic Universe arrives on TV with "WandaVision"
Music and misogyny
Phil Spector's legacy