To the Wonder (2024) 我的阿勒泰
Directed by Teng Congcong, starring Ma Yili as Zhang Fengxia, Zhou Yiran as Li Wenxiu and Yu Shi as Batai.
Watched 26 - 27 April 2025 — 8 episodes (IQIYI)
Li Wenxiu, a Han Chinese girl who grew up in Altay, is determined to pursue her literary dream in a big city. However, she repeatedly encounters obstacles and is forced to return to her hometown to rely on her mother who runs a small shop. After meeting Kazakh boy Batai, Wenxiu gradually discovered the beauty of the local area. (Synopsis: Letterboxd)
*I gained another legal streaming option, through my sister's subscription of iQiyi, and I was able to watch this highly acclaimed Chinese drama of 8 episodes. Binged it in two days, actually the first 7 episodes yesterday and the final episode this morning. Loved it!
*First and foremost, this is a love letter to Altay, their people, language and traditions. I loved being immersed in their world. The cinematography is outstanding! So many stunning visuals of the gorgeous scenery.
*I love slice-of-life series with their slow pace. Love to see the nomadic way of life here and the move to the summer ranch and the time spent there.
*I like the female lead, Zhou Yiran as Li Wenxiu, but the match with Ma Yili as her screen mother seemed a bit off. Still, I liked their scenes together.
*Wenxiu's romance with Batai is a slow-burn. There's not a sizzling chemistry between them, with romantic sparks flying, but their romance is depicted in a natural and realistic way, with furtive glances abound. You can understand why they slowly fall for each other, in that isolated place of the world. I like the scene very much where Batai tells his horse Snowshoe to not embarass him in front of the girl he likes.
*The tents! I'm amazed how big they are and how beautiful they look from the inside, with big colourful rugs and cushions and even some furniture. Love the scene with the leaking tent and how Wenxiu strings plastic bags together to catch the water. Visually it looked beautiful.
*Judging from the sound and non-fluency, I thought as much that the Kazakh language is not Yu Shi's native tongue. It sounded a bit mechanical. I read in a review by a Kazakh person on My Drama List: "(... ) respect to the male lead actor who is not Kazakh but was trying to pronounce some difficult words in Kazakh, yet other actors’ Kazakh language was authentic."
*I felt a bit sorry for Batai's father Sulitan who had difficulty with adapting to modern times. I'm glad he came around in the end and apologised to his son.
*Love the friendship between Wenxiu and Token (Sulitan's eldest daughter-in-law and Batai's sister-in-law).
*There's also humour in this series. Nothing laugh-out-loud funny, but it's in the little things, like Batai tying Wenxiu's shoes together by putting a knot in her shoelaces and her tripping as a consequence.
*The last episode heightens the drama and there is a shocking incident that drives a wedge between Wenxiu and Batai. I shed some tears here. Fortunately the last scene is promising and my hope for Wenxiu and Batai to find a way to each other again was rekindled. I had wished for more episodes to see their romance blossom.
*On the whole, a special series which makes you reflect on the different kind of lives people lead. And the beauty of slow living and community. It's a drama I won't easy forget.
"Li Wenxiu, what do you mean by 'useful'? Did I give birth to you so you can serve others? Look at the trees and grass on the grassland. They're called useful if people eat and use them. But if no one uses them, it's perfectly fine for them to simply exist in the grassland. They are free, aren't they?" (Ma Yili as Zhang Fengxia)
"In Kazakh culture, friendship or love between humans bloom from being seen. So 'I like you' in Kazakh, 'Men seni zhaksy koremin', means 'I see you clearly'."