Chinese hit drama A Better Life, a change from The First Frost and Hidden Love
If you're looking to step outside the familiar world of soft, romantic Chinese dramas like The First Frost and Hidden Love, A Better Life might just be the refreshing change you need.
This 2025 hit drama tells the story of Hu Man Li, a 39-year-old insurance practitioner who seems poised to finally hit her professional and personal peak — until life pulls the rug out from under her.
Losing both her job and marriage at once, Hu Man Li is devastated to learn that her downfall was orchestrated by 28-year-old Xue Xiao Zhou, a rising star in her own company.
What starts as a story of betrayal takes an unexpected turn, as Hu Man Li and Xue Xiao Zhou gradually move from bitter enemies to unlikely allies. Realising that holding onto resentment will only hold her back, Hu Man Li joins forces with Xue to rebuild her career in the cutthroat insurance industry. Xue, meanwhile, proves herself to be a gold-medal seller with skills that command respect.
Unlike typical youth romances, A Better Life offers a grittier, more mature narrative about resilience, second chances, and personal reinvention. Reviews have praised the show's sharp storytelling, emotionally complex characters, and standout performances, particularly by leads Sun Li and Dong Zijian.
With stylish visuals and a tightly woven plot, the series is a must-watch for viewers craving a drama with both heart and bite. If you're ready to explore a story about starting over at any age, A Better Life should be next on your list.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Dubai Eye
16 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
Labubu human-sized figure sells for over $150,000 at Beijing auction
A Beijing auction house sold a human-sized Labubu figure for 1.08 million yuan ($150,275, around AED 551,901) on Tuesday, setting a new record for the "blind box" toy as it moves from craze to collectible. The event held by Yongle International Auction, which traditionally specialises in modern art as well as jewellery, marked the first-ever auction dedicated to Labubu, toothy monster figurines that are mainly sold by China's toy company Pop Mart and have been at the centre of a global frenzy for the past year. The auction offered 48 lots for sale and was attended in person by roughly 200 people, while over a thousand bidders put down offers via Yongle's mobile app, the auction house said. The starting price for all the items started at zero and it eventually raised a total of 3.73 million yuan (AED 1.90 million). The highest grossing item, a mint green, 131cm tall Labubu figure, received several bids to sell for 1.08 million yuan. The auctioneer said it was the only one available in the world. A set of three Labubu sculptures, about 40 cm tall and made of PVC material, sold for 510,000 yuan. The set, from a series called "Three Wise Labubu", was limited to a run of 120 sets in 2017 and another one sold for HKD 203,200 ($25,889.64) at Sotheby's most recent auction in Hong Kong. Labubu was created a decade ago by Hong Kong artist and illustrator Kasing Lung. In 2019, Lung agreed to let them be sold by Pop Mart, a Chinese toy company that markets collectable figurines often sold in "blind boxes". A buyer of a blind box toy does not know exactly what design they will receive until they open the packaging. The starting price for Labubu blind box toys sold in Pop Mart's stores is around 50 yuan (AED 25). The character's popularity skyrocketed after Lisa of the Korean pop music group Blackpink was spotted with a Labubu and praised the doll in interviews and online posts. Many celebrities followed. In May, British football star David Beckham shared a photo on Instagram of his Labubu attached to a bag. One Yongle auction bidder, a restaurant owner who only gave her surname as Du, said she had planned to spend a maximum of 20,000 yuan but walked away empty handed as the final prices were too high. "My child likes it so every time when Labubu released new products we will buy one or two items. It is hard to explain its popularity but it must have moved this generation," she said.
ARN News Center
16 hours ago
- ARN News Center
Labubu human-sized figure sells for over $150,000 at Beijing auction
A Beijing auction house sold a human-sized Labubu figure for 1.08 million yuan ($150,275, around AED 551,901) on Tuesday, setting a new record for the "blind box" toy as it moves from craze to collectible. The event held by Yongle International Auction, which traditionally specialises in modern art as well as jewellery, marked the first-ever auction dedicated to Labubu, toothy monster figurines that are mainly sold by China's toy company Pop Mart and have been at the centre of a global frenzy for the past year. The auction offered 48 lots for sale and was attended in person by roughly 200 people, while over a thousand bidders put down offers via Yongle's mobile app, the auction house said. The starting price for all the items started at zero and it eventually raised a total of 3.73 million yuan (AED 1.90 million). The highest grossing item, a mint green, 131cm tall Labubu figure, received several bids to sell for 1.08 million yuan. The auctioneer said it was the only one available in the world. A set of three Labubu sculptures, about 40 cm tall and made of PVC material, sold for 510,000 yuan. The set, from a series called "Three Wise Labubu", was limited to a run of 120 sets in 2017 and another one sold for HKD 203,200 ($25,889.64) at Sotheby's most recent auction in Hong Kong. Labubu was created a decade ago by Hong Kong artist and illustrator Kasing Lung. In 2019, Lung agreed to let them be sold by Pop Mart, a Chinese toy company that markets collectable figurines often sold in "blind boxes". A buyer of a blind box toy does not know exactly what design they will receive until they open the packaging. The starting price for Labubu blind box toys sold in Pop Mart's stores is around 50 yuan (AED 25). The character's popularity skyrocketed after Lisa of the Korean pop music group Blackpink was spotted with a Labubu and praised the doll in interviews and online posts. Many celebrities followed. In May, British football star David Beckham shared a photo on Instagram of his Labubu attached to a bag. One Yongle auction bidder, a restaurant owner who only gave her surname as Du, said she had planned to spend a maximum of 20,000 yuan but walked away empty handed as the final prices were too high. "My child likes it so every time when Labubu released new products we will buy one or two items. It is hard to explain its popularity but it must have moved this generation," she said.
Al Etihad
2 days ago
- Al Etihad
Chinese trendy toy Labubu witnesses surge in popularity, prices amid panic buying
10 June 2025 15:22 BEIJING (AGENCIES) As the craze for the trendy Chinese toy Labubu intensifies, prices for the mischievous-looking vinyl figure have soared to around 34,000 yuan ($4,730) on some e-commerce platforms, three times the original price, the Global Times has price of the MEGA LABUBU TEC, a 79.3-centimeter-tall version with freckles, has skyrocketed to 34,929 yuan (Dh17,865) on a Chinese e-commerce platform. Its original price was around 9,900 yuan.A total of 165 of the Labubu toys have been sold since they were launched in October 2022, a customer service employee from a shop on the e-commerce platform told the Global Times. In addition, the employee stated that many high-priced Labubu products have seen a notable uptick in recent at 101 centimeters tall, "Labubu The Monsters," a collaboration with Vans, was priced at 38,074 yuan per unit on one of China's largest retailers, according to its online Global Times found that even smaller Labubu models, around 38 centimeters tall, are being sold for up to 16,697 the elf-like doll created by Chinese toy maker Pop Mart, has gained global attention, while sightings of Western celebrities with the toy have fueled consumer trend is visible both online and offline across major international markets. Chinese trendy toy stores have secured prime locations in cities like Paris and London, where overseas fans line up for hours to buy the most coveted items, according to media at Pop Mart shops in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, stated that when the Labubu Generation 3 blind boxes [a type of packaging that keeps its contents a mystery until it is opened] were released in April this year, they were still available in physical stores, a new media account affiliated with the Henan Daily reported on June however, customers must join fan groups to receive restocking notifications, complete purchases through Pop Mart's official platforms, and pick up the items in-store. "Since last year, it has been extremely popular in Southeast Asia. Now, nine out of 10 people entering the store ask about Labubu," said a staff member from a Zhengzhou Pop Mart shop, adding that restocking is irregular and no fixed schedule exists.
