I loved this “slice of life” drama.

But to be perfectly honest, if it wasn’t for Luō Jìn, I probably would’ve completely missed out on a truly wonderful and heartwarming series about Shanghai … real estate agents.

Yup. Real. Estate. Agents.

First, let’s get the real estate stuff out of the way. I have, in the past, regretfully binged on far too many HGTV shows (House Hunters, Love it or List it, etc.). So yes, I personally find real estate interesting and fun - or at least it can be. The whole process of how to buy and sell a home in China, for example? I actually want to know! But that’s definitely not why you should be watching.

Luō Jìn’s character is a renown expert in Shanghai’s historic foreign homes, so if you have a thing for old houses steeped in colourful family history and beautifully crafted architecture, the show takes viewers on a couple of brief tours of the stunning mansions and old flats around Shanghai’s foreign concession/international settlement areas. The city’s stratospheric real estate prices are on full display here, which also makes for some interesting commentary on the demographic and socioeconomic disparities within the city.

I was kind of meh about the trailer, so the drama wasn’t super high on my priority watch-list. But a friend said the lead actress, Sūn Lì, usually picked good scripts, so when my husband (who has his real estate licence, but doesn’t really practice) decided to check it out one day, I jumped onboard too.

The character development in the show is authentic, particularly Sun’s Fáng Sì Jǐn, whose heartbreaking (and enraging) back story and growth is organically and beautifully executed over the course of 53 episodes. Xú Wén Chāng, played by Luō Jìn, is a great, modern day protagonist - grounded, kind, non-judgemental, moral, but with his own share of sorrows. (You may recognize Luō Jìn as Tuòbá Jùn from Princess Weiyoung and more recently as Xiào Dìng Quán/the Crown Prince in Royal Nirvana.) Even though theirs is actually a Grand Romance (IMHO), the heart of this drama centres around the lovely friendship the two main characters build over time.

Credit: Shanghai Youhug Media, Tencent Penguin Pictures

Even beyond the two main leads, the supporting cast - which consists primarily of the colleagues who work at An Jia (“Peaceful Home”) Realty - are all people worth rooting for. They are a pretty eclectic team when we first meet them; not everyone makes an impression or is especially likable at first.

Not to say the show is flawless. There are a few issues that niggled at me. The first involves Xú Wén Chāng: his ex-wife is a piece of work, and given how they portray him, I couldn’t reconcile how he ended up with her in the first place. They touch on it a little bit later in the series, but not nearly enough to be fully believable.

The second involves one of the supporting casts who (minor spoilers) gets into serious trouble with a creepy would-be client (trigger/content warning for sexual assault). She is rescued by her colleagues, but the entire episode, like some of the other shorter storylines involving clients, ends up being rather self-contained. She doesn’t exhibit any lasting trauma and the incident does not get revisited or referenced again. I’m not exactly surprised - this would fall under the “problematic content” I touched on in my introductory post. Despite my issues with how this was handled, a part of me applauds the screenwriter for even including it at all. It’s a huge problem in China that - as far as I understand and can see - has not been given sufficient attention. The global #MeToo movement has helped raised the profile on this issue in the country, but as recent cases involving rich and powerful Chinese business men show, there is still a great deal of work to be done.

A third one involves what is essentially a redemptive or “success is the best revenge” ending for a philandering rich husband, who is a recurring character throughout the the drama. (Minor spoilers) He deeply loves his wife, who knew him before he became rich and was an important force behind his success. But he is a serial cheater. She finds out, and dumps his pathetic ass. No amount of begging is going fix this. He is particularly stung by the notion that his success would not have happened without her. Without giving too much away, he is lured into backing a real estate venture that is guaranteed to succeed with the argument that it will be his chance to show he can do great things without his wife. I’m positive it was said purely as bait to convince him to invest in the project; he is not the brains behind the idea and without the money he made while married to his wife, he would not have the means to finance the development anyway. But the throwaway line stayed with me. Whether it’s Asia or North America, there are far too many stories like this, and I am petty enough to wish he had a slightly less successful ending to his story arc. Still, a core part of the drama’s backstory is actually about the deep, lifelong scars infidelity and abandonment can leave on families.

Overall, I Will Find You A Better Home really captures the striking socioeconomic differences across Shanghai and beyond, told through the personal lives of characters and their house hunting clients - from life in the countryside, to the lower income and working class residents of Shanghai, to the off-the-charts crazy rich.

By extension, it also really captures the best and worst of modern Chinese society (and arguably any society). It touches on misplaced values, materialism, rich philandering husbands, David vs Goliath battles over property, gender biases against daughters and preferences for sons, and the unfathomable selfishness, self-centredness and thoughtlessness of demanding clients. It even acknowledges the emotional labour women carry as working mothers and supportive spouses and offers a realistic glimpse into the dynamics that play out in these relationships.

The drama has a revolving door of clients, and there are no stereotypes for age or gender: wonderful and heinous people come in all forms. It explores the tainted relationship between people and money, the way it poisons generations of familial relationships and upends traditional notions of fielty among Chinese families through numerous unique examples. There is one particular storyline that starts off deceptively heartwarming, but becomes the worst example of greed and selfishness. Gratifyingly, that client story arc has a remarkably satisfying ending. (I may have cheered at my TV.) Fáng Sì Jǐn’s own backstory is also layered with the emotionally complicated nature of filial piety.

Okay. Whatever, I’m just going to say it (spoiler alert), her mom is a flat-out monster and that’s about all there is to it.

The drama’s well-paced storytelling and colourful cast of characters mean very little flashbacks are needed throughout the 53 episodes. GUYS. This is truly a feat in Asian dramas. Even the best ones really love their extended and repetitive playback of a character’s memories. At least that has been the case in my humble viewing experience.

On a more personal note: my Chinese frankly isn’t great, so I was particularly pleased with myself on three counts: 1) being able to pick out the Shanghai accents 2) watching most of it without subtitles (with an occasional assist from Google Translate) 3) actually catching a throw-away Condor Heroes reference! (That’s a Big Deal for this ignorant Canadian :)).

I Will Find You A Better Home made it pretty high on my top 10 list. It turned out to be a surprising gem that I’m not sure will necessarily get much attention from viewers outside of China. If that’s the case, I am here to give it my whole-hearted endorsement.

(By the way, here’s a gratuitous still of Luō Jìn. With a puppy.)

Edit (Oct. 13, 2020): I stumbled across this article from the South China Morning Post about this drama, which gives some interesting background and context on how this show came to be and its reception in China.

“Chinese media reported that the show recorded more than four billion views online, with daily peaks above 300 million, making it the most popular TV show in China over the past three years.”

Credit: Luo Jin, Shanghai Youhug Media, Tencent Penguin Pictures

I Will Find You A Better Home was initially available on the network’s YouTube channel with English subs, but at least in Canada, that option no longer appears to be available.

Luo Jin and Sun Li Will Find You A Better Home 安家 (卖房子的人)