- Drama Title: Later, I Laughed
- Also Known As: 不讨好的勇气, Bu Tao Hao De Yong Qi
- Screenwriter & Director: Dong Run Nian
- Cast: Teresa Li, Wei Da Xun, Wang Hao
- Genres: Comedy, Life, Drama
- Number of Episodes: 24
- Date of Release: November 23, 2024
- Original Network: Tencent Video
- Where to Watch: WeTV, Tencent Video, Viki
Dear readers, how are you today? It was excruciatingly hot when I wrote this report. It was unbelievable because when I was binge-watching this drama, it had been raining for a few days in a row. And now, because of the changing weather, I felt that my throat was itching and I started to have a runny nose.
Then I remembered watching a male lead cook a pear and cloves for the female lead, who also had a cold. I remember the food well, but I can’t remember the title or the story of the drama. And it’s bothering me. Did the food take up too much space in my brain instead of the drama itself? 🤷♀️
Well, enough about me. Later, I laughed drama was found by mistake a few days ago. However, I found it quite interesting and can’t wait to share it with you through this review. Without further ado, let’s get started! Happy reading!
Later, I Laughed Drama Synopsis
Wu Xiao Ya is an office worker in a big company. In the eyes of others, Wu Xiao Ya is good-looking, smart, reliable, gentle, and kind. Her life is perfect. She has a good and stable job. In addition, she has a handsome boyfriend who always takes care of her.
But Wu Xiao Ya didn’t want to be labeled like that. That description didn’t feel like her. Deep in her heart, she didn’t want to be a people-pleaser who always accommodated others and didn’t speak her mind.
Having suppressed herself for so long, Wu Xiao Ya couldn’t stand it anymore when Zheng Hao, her boyfriend, made decisions for her about her future marriage and career, as if she was incapable of making her own decisions.
In a small Banghe bar, Wu Xiao Ya showed her true self after meeting an old friend, Shi Ye. She went to the stage and let off steam. Wu Xiao Ya was surprised when the audience responded to her. It was like someone offering you a pillow when you are tired.
As a stand-up comedian, Wu Xiao Ya found solace in expressing her feelings, mocking her boyfriend, and receiving laughter from the audience. Most importantly, she found her long-lost self. A new chapter in her life began with the impromptu performance that night.
Later, I Laughed Drama Review
Dear readers, you must watch this drama!
I watched Later, I Laughed because I accidentally clicked on it. At first, I thought that Later, I Laughed was just a mediocre urban drama. However, the first episode caught my interest because Wu Xiu Ya’s story was related to my personal experience.
So Later, I Laughed drama touched my sore spot.
This drama is about losing oneself and a journey to regain one’s self. Later, I Laughed gave us a good story with a good pace. There was enough excitement in the story. The kind of excitement that made you want to slap someone. 😁
The stand-up comedy was not as funny as I expected. Because it seemed that the performers used a lot of puns or played with Chinese words. I couldn’t speak Chinese, so I relied on the subtitles. Some lines didn’t seem funny, but the audience laughed. So probably those lines were funny enough for those who understand Chinese.
The dialogues in Later, I Laughed are deep. Including those spoken on stage. You will unconsciously find many of them related to our daily lives. And that is what makes a drama interesting, especially an urban drama where the story is often realistic.
I was not a fan of stand-up comedy and rarely watched it. Later, I Laughed gave me some new insight into this performing art. From my understanding of the piece, the stand-up comedians had to peel back the layers of themselves one by one. It wasn’t about mocking or being sarcastic (although sometimes it is), it was about being true to yourself.
Weren’t we always making fun of ourselves or others in our heads? Many of us didn’t have the courage (I didn’t) to say it out loud, but our inner voice never lied. And a stand-up comedian was a few people who were brave enough to say their thoughts or laugh at themselves.
I remember Shrek once said, “Onions have layers, ogres have layers”. Well… Shrek was deep. Human beings have layers as well. And this drama is a perfect example of how to peel layers off people.
Another thing I love about Later, I Laughed is the narrator who explains everything and gives us some fun facts. I never know the process of making a balloon. I didn’t even know there were luminous balloons. I would love to have one! 😍
The story was well-written and every character had an epiphany. Through a lot of things, they woke up to the realization and developed into a better character. After watching the ending, I thought my favorite character would be Wu Xiu Ya, who struggles to find herself.
But surprisingly, I chose Zheng Hao. Yes, he was full of himself. But there were many good sides to him. He is a good employee. Full of ideas, good at management and communication.
You could also feel his genuine affection for Wu Xiu Ya. He realized that Wu Xiu Ya broke up with him because she didn’t like the way he handled things for her. But when she ran into obstacles, Zheng Hao didn’t turn into an arrogant dirtbag. Instead, he still showed how much he cared for her. And I love how he starts a friendship with Shi Ye despite their feelings for the same woman.
Wu Xiu Ya was loved by many: Shi Ye, Zheng Hao and Xu Yun Feng. Still, the romance was hardly there. But I like to see the cute relationship between Xiao Lan and Xiao Dong. In terms of romance, their story was much more interesting than Wu Xiu Ya-Zheng Hao, Wu Xiu Ya-Shi Ye, or Wu Xiu Ya-Xu Yun Feng.
As the female lead, Wu Xiu Ya was not a perfect person. But she is the perfect example of reality. I wonder how many of my readers have had the experience of being a people pleaser in the past, especially in the office. For the sake of others, we have to suppress ourselves. Say yes when inside we were screaming no.
Smile when our hearts are in tears. To bow our heads and apologize, even though we know that the mistake was not ours alone. Accepting others’ arrangements. Even when we don’t agree. Not to mention the times when we racked our brains trying to avoid conflict with others. It’s a tiring life. I said these words from the bottom of my heart. And it was not easy to free ourselves from the shackles. Some people couldn’t free themselves for the rest of their lives.
That was when Wu Xiu Ya showed her true strength. In my view, she didn’t really lose herself or her personality. It was just suppressed like a ticking time bomb that was going to explode when the time was right. Fortunately, Wu Xiu Ya has a smart mind and strong mentality. She also has an ambition of her own, and she knows exactly how to achieve it. These traits are her protection against mental breakdown.
As for Shi Ye… Hmmm… I’m not a fan of his. He is absolutely amazing as a friend. But I didn’t consider him boyfriend material. I wasn’t referring to his principle of not marrying. A lot of people have the same principle these days. It was not surprising at all. I just didn’t like him because She Ye lacked initiative. Shi Ye likes Wu Xiu Ya. No doubt about it. But he just stared at her in silence, secretly rejoicing in her achievements.
The main strength of Later, I Laughed is the story, followed by the acting. There were controversies about Teresa Li when this drama was aired. For your information, Teresa Li won the Golden Rooster Award this year for her acting in the movie Viva La Vida. It was too bad that many people were not satisfied with it.
I haven’t seen the movie, so I won’t comment on it. Anyway… I think Teresa Li did a great job as Wu Xiu Ya. Just like she did a good job in the 2023 mystery drama The Long Season. Teresa Li was able to do a perfect portrayal of the gloomy Wu Xiu Ya, as well as the happy version of her.
Our male leads, Wei Da Xun and Wang Hao also did a good job. They may not be as stunning as Xiao Zhan or Dylan Wang, but they were perfect for a realistic story like “Later, I Laughed”.
It’s been a long time since I saw Rainbow Xu in Our Secret drama. She is still as cute as ever. However, I was shocked when I found out that Ding Guan Sen also starred in A Romance of the Little Forest with Esther Yu and Zhang Bin Bin. He played the rich Jin Xi. His hairstyle certainly changes his appearance by 180 degrees. 😁
Later, I Laughed ended with an open ending. Wu Xiu Ya’s relationship was left to our own imagination. There was no significant conclusion for Wu Xiu Ya, Shi Ye and Zheng Hao near the end of the drama. But this kind of story often ends that way. So it was quite predictable to me.
The Cinematography
Later, I Laughed’s strength lies in the solid acting and the well-written story. The rest was so-so. You won’t find breathtaking sets or visuals. Since the characters in this story came from an ordinary background, there weren’t any luxurious sets to be found. But everything was done right.
I really like the natural make-up used in this drama. Young Wu Xiu Ya did not look like she was wearing any makeup. The makeup artist did her job perfectly. There was no uneven foundation. The oily skin didn’t look flattering on anyone. But hey, it was supposed to be that way.
Chinese schools have strict rules that every student has to follow, it would not look natural if Teresa Li had red lips or a rosy cheek. My only regret was the stiff wig Teresa Li used in the high school scenes. They could have done better.
Rainbow Xu’s makeup and clothes are my favorite in this drama. She looked so cute and pretty. Especially when she dressed up for her job as a bartender. I especially like her 1920’s style hairdo in episode 7.
As for the male actors’ costumes? I’m so sorry that no one impressed me. However, the costume department was able to make them look realistic. For example, the chairman of Zonghe Group always wore an ordinary polo shirt, while the subordinate always wore immaculate clothes. In fact, the bigger the company, the more casual the boss would dress. It is just like that.
The Characters
Wu Xiu Ya
Wu Xiu Ya (played by Teresa Li) used to be a lively, brave, and outspoken little girl. She used to say things like, “People can’t live by pleasing others” or “I won’t live like my mother”.
Things changed after she moved to a new high school and suffered injustice. She fights for herself because no one stands up for her, not even her mother. For the first time, Wu Xiu Ya realized that being true to herself and speaking her mind could lead to trouble for herself and others.
Therefore, Wu Xiao Ya decided to be a different person, one who tries to please others and avoid conflicts with others. Years went by, and the 26-year-old Wu Xiu Ya still succumbed to others and suppressed herself.
Wu Xiu Ya is a capable worker. She is an intelligent and hardworking person. She worked efficiently and always did a good job in every task she was given. However, her “weak” personality made people take advantage of her.
Although Wu Xiu Ya sometimes rolls her eyes (inwardly) or gives an “Are you serious” look, in the end, she never says no or complains about her co-worker’s fault. Even if it means accepting her boss’s criticism or admitting the mistake as her own.
In her relationship with Zheng Hao, Wu Xiu Ya felt suffocated. He was always telling her how to do things, embarrassing her in front of his friends, and making decisions for her. People in her company thought that Wu Xiu Ya was able to get where she got because he helped her, and she relied heavily on him. However, Wu Xiu Ya’s desire was for people to recognize her for her abilities.
After she found her old self, Wu Xiu Ya surprised others. She became braver and wasn’t afraid to express her feelings and thoughts. She wasn’t afraid to retaliate or demand what was rightfully hers. Being true to herself freed her spirit. She is no longer a submissive Wu Xiu Ya. And that lights up her gloomy life.
Shi Ye
Shi Ye (played by Wei Da Xun) is a young man who chose to live an unconventional life. He wanted freedom and didn’t want to be restricted or controlled by others. Shi Ye was a model student in his school days. He is a very filial child and always listens to his mother.
When Wu Xiu Ya told him that he was an pretentious person and a coward, Shi Ye admitted it to himself. He realized that these traits were not his real personality. However, Shi Ye only tried to be a good son for his mother.
After he grew up, Shi Ye became a different person. He didn’t like to be restricted or controlled by others, not even in his work or relationships. So Shi Ye decided to leave his job and become a full time stand-up comedian. Sometime he accepted a project as a designer, but it was only part-time.
Shi Ye moved out of his house and chose to live in a caravan, living a carefree life with no dream for the future. He also has a principle of not believing in the institution of marriage and has always been honest about it.
Shi Ye never realized that the moment he met Wu Xiu Ya, she entered his heart and stayed there. Just like a plant seed waiting for the perfect time to grow.
Zheng Hao
Zheng Hao (Played by Wang Hao) works in the marketing department of Zonghe Group. He is a young man of great business sense, intelligence, and professionalism.
Among the young people in the company, Zheng Hao can be regarded as one of the most successful ones. He is well known for his ability and the affection he has for Wu Xiu Ya. According to their colleagues, Zheng Hao and Wu Xiu Ya are considered to be a perfect couple.
As a lover, Zheng Hao is a devoted man. He is always ready to help Wu Xiu Ya, protect her at all costs, and believe that everything he does will make her life easier and more comfortable. But has he ever asked Wu Xiu Ya’s permission? NO. He never did. Zheng Hao believed that Wu Xiu Ya was a naive and weak girl who needed to be taken care of by him.
Although they broke up, Zheng Hao’s affection for her is real. He never stopped thinking about her, even though there were beauties around him.
The Conclusion
Later, I Laughed’s story was not as boring as the poster. The story was engaging and the acting was great. Although the story mentioned that Wu Xiu Ya had a romance with some men, you won’t find a hot and steamy romance. Well, actually, there was hardly any love or romantic scenes. However, it did not stop me from enjoying the whole drama.
Through this Later, I Laughed drama review post, I recommend this drama to my dear readers who like urban or modern dramas and realistic stories. Later, I Laughed is a perfect choice for your daily dose of drama. But if you want to watch it all at once, no harm done. Just pick your pace and enjoy this gem. Thanks for stopping by, dear readers. I hope this review was helpful. I’ll see you in another post. Ciao!
