simplified Chinese: 只不过三十而已; pinyin: Zhǐ bùguò sānshí éryǐ 

Nothing but Thirty

 Is a Chinese drama known for its diverse themes. It centers around the lives of three women who are all turning 30 in the same year. The show follows their different lives and how they come together to help each other despite their differences. This show draws attention to different traditional Chinese beliefs such as being married and having kids before you are 30, not getting a divorce, being financially independent, and fitting into your age group. These beliefs are what make the women in the show worry that they are not where they are supposed to be in life. For example, we see as the character Wang Man Ni is financially independent but not financially stable. This makes her parents beg for her to go back to her hometown and they try to persuade her to meet a man they have in mind for her so she can get married before she is 30. This makes Wang Man Ni feel like she is pressured to obey societal “rules” even though this is not something that would make her fully satisfied because Wang Man Ni had other goals in mind. These beliefs also kept some of the women in the show in difficult situations instead of doing what was best for them. For example, Zhong Xiaoqin was in a marriage that was slowly dying out and that she was no longer happy in. Her mother told her that she could not get a divorce or she would be a “left-over women” which is women over 27 years of age that are not married. Another theme seen in the show is the theme of starting over. We see that the women in the show are not fully happy with where they are in life and this makes them wish they could be in their 20’s again where they could start over. As the story plot progresses we see as the characters realize they can start over at any moment they choose to start over. We see as Zhong Xiaoqin begins her new life after her divorce, we see as Gu Jia starts over after her own divorce, and Wang Man Ni starts over after she decides living in her hometown would make everyone else happy except herself. Through these three women, a lot of life lessons are demonstrated. The drama is directed mainly to young adults but it can be a great watch for any age.

9 Of The Best Moments From C-Drama “Nothing But Thirty”