Always Home: The C-drama that’ll warm your heart and break it too – Explained

Always Home
C-drama Always Home (Image via WeTV)

Among the C-dramas that will slowly creep into your heart with quiet moments is Always Home, which centers around an adorable teenager named Chen Huan’er. The events take place in 2007 when the 16-year-old departs from her quiet hometown, Sishui, and moves to the lively city of Tianhe because her mother gets transferred there for work.

Once she arrives in Tianhe, Chen Huan’er meets two classmates who become central figures in her life: Jing Xi Chi and Song Cong. While Jing Xi Chi is a relaxed boy who's in love with soccer, Song Cong is like an all-rounder with a complicated family background.

The three of them quickly form a close-knit bond, supporting one another through all the turbulence of teenage life, from school stress to emotional challenges. However, the story isn't about the small issues these characters face, but also the tragedies people encounter in life.

Jing Xi Chi, for instance, is confronted with a setback that jeopardizes his soccer future in Always Home. On the other hand, Song Cong is weighed down by the expectations of his parents as he yearns for a less complicated life than the one they have planned for him.

Keep reading to dive deep into this captivating Chinese drama.


Always Home: A C-drama about care, loss, and struggles of growing up

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One of the best things about Always Home is how this C-drama deals with disability, grief, and caretaking. While the journey of being a teenager and the changes of growing up are the core elements of this show, the heavy themes really hit hard.

A key part of the story is the character of Song Cong. The youngster faces a tough situation when his mother gets into an accident and struggles with severe mobility problems. This leads Song Cong and his father to prioritize how they can help her.

Always Home does a great job of reflecting how such situations hit a family. They not only make them feel scared of losing that special person, but also make them realize how important they are.

Similarly, Song Cong loves his mother and never imagined that he would have to become a caretaker. One powerful moment in this Chinese drama comes when Cong’s mother accidentally starts a fire and is overcome with shame.

Her transition from being a caregiver to one who needs care is heartbreaking. Here, Always Home demonstrated how disability affects not only the body, but also the mind and family relationships.

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What does "home" really mean in the Chinese drama Always Home?

The three lifelong friends (Image via WeTV)
The three lifelong friends (Image via WeTV)

In Always Home, " home " doesn't merely refer to a building or place. It's actually an emotional cord that runs through the entire C-drama. For Chen Huan'er, traveling from her hometown of Sishui to the city of Tianhe isn't merely a physical move.

It's the start of a new chapter in life with unfamiliar streets, a new school life, and having to fit in. But as the story goes on, it is evident that "home" is something she gradually constructs with the individuals around her.

Her relationship with Jing Xi Chi and Song Cong is her emotional shelter in the C-drama. Through late-night conversations, encouragement through academic and personal setbacks, and mutual aspirations for the future, these friendships become something more secure than any place.

Even when romantic tensions and misunderstandings occur, there's an unshakeable feeling of belonging between them, like no matter how far they travel or what they encounter, they will always be there for each other.

The drama doesn’t shy away from showing the fragility of family either. Song Cong’s strained relationship with his parents and Jing Xi Chi’s challenges with his family’s expectations prove that home isn’t always comforting.

At the same time, neighborhood moments, like supportive teachers or kind neighbors, reflect how small acts of care can leave a lasting impact. Even with careers in other cities, long-distance struggles, and devastating losses, the characters find themselves returning to each other.

By the time Jing Xi Chi asks Huan'er out on the PhD graduation day, it's not merely a romantic highlight. It's a full-circle moment in the Chinese drama that viewers will fall in love with.

So if you like watching dramas with deeper meaning and notable character development, tune in to Always Home on the WeTV app.


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Edited by Alisha Khan