A River Runs Through It (2021)

wholesome friendships and bittersweet partings

I started watching this drama solely for the main cp, happened to come across it as a random rec and decided to give it a chance. From the very beginning, the story had me hooked, the characters had me invested and the sense of humor and marvelous acting had me smiling like a fool at my screen. I love most of this drama EXCEPT a few ending episodes. a look @ the review section will really point out the fact as to why I feel this way. This drama would be a 10/10 from me was it not for the rushed and albeit happy but (as someone who was really invested in the main cp) unsatisfying ending. Add to the fact that the ending episodes have a lot of unexplained occurrences that make you feel frustrated and lost. The dissatisfaction comes solely from the fact that the misunderstandings weren't cleared and the five-year separation period just seemed TOO long to be realistic... (5 years? No communication? Oh man...)

What I mean is, the 5 years /would/ be justifiable if a little more effort was put into portraying the romantic aspect of the main cp (which I understand the drama might not be going for but STILL? There are many ways to tie the story together and still successfully time jump!) If I could just get a pov of Shiyi's life abroad maybe? If I could know what the whole thing with Shen Duo was? Heck if Xiaoju and Shiyi even had a ONE MINUTE talk about it when they met? Just one mature conversation put in between whatever that banter at the beach was about, and it would have been enough for a 10/10 because I love the beginning and the middle parts so much. I cherish the friendship aspect of this drama and even if there aren’t many moments that can be dubbed as “romantic” for the main cp, they still have a lot of sweet and heartwarming moments together and their chemistry is truly remarkable. I know expecting something to be perfect is just not sensible but this drama had so much potential to be a way bigger hit was it not for the ending.

However, the way these characters have made an impression on me in the most positive way possible in the journey of life they went through, I am still standing by the fact that it is an amazing drama... and just for the sake of the way their friendships and hardships and happy moments are portrayed, this deserves a watch and maybe a rewatch. What I would like to suggest is to dive into this without expecting too much from the ending... I did that too. We get a happy ending... that's nice, but a satisfactory one? In my honest opinion I doubt it.

CHARACTERS

All of them have their strengths and weaknesses. Nobody is perfect and I love the drama for this. We see all of them struggling and fighting their way through it, we see all of them achieving things and being proud of what they have become. They are very relatable and the actors are to be appreciated for their performance on cam. Ruichang as Shiyi leaves a strong impression. He is one of my favorite leads so far and is one of those characters who truly make you love the drama. Another one of such actors is Yixuan as Xiaoju. Both of them have their own strengths and weaknesses and accept themselves for who they are. Shiyi doesn't change his attitude to make himself Xiaoju’s “type”. Xiaoju ends up falling for him nevertheless. Xiaoju, despite being uncomfortable when the idea of having a romantic relationship with Shiyi is first introduced to her, still manages to preserve the “friendship’ aspect of their relationship and tries her best to sort out her feelings lest she should end up giving Shiyi false hope.

I know a lot of people dislike Xiaoju for not “realizing” her feelings earlier. But imho it is understandable. There is a particular scene when, after they ended up arriving late at night by bicycle, Xiaoju is lying in her bed thinking of what Shiyi told her (the “what if I like you?" part) She then suddenly remembers all the occurrences when Shiyi told her he didn’t like her (DESPITE the fact that he did like her. That is one of the flaws on Shiyi’s part) If a male friend tells you he doesn't like you, you wouldn't like to entertain the idea of liking him any further, let's be honest. Despite this, Xiaoju /is/ dense. But aren't we all? Shiyi is also impulsive in the end, but isn’t it understandable that he was frustrated after trying for so long and getting nowhere (still, makes me a little sad that he knew Xiaoju was falling for him (the bench scene) but still let his anger get the best of him. But that too is a normal human reaction.)

Despite their flaws, I love these characters and it is solely the fault of the writers as to why there are a few questionable and nonsensical decisions made by them that are done mainly to propel the story further instead of propelling THEIR relationship further. The actors though, Ruichang and Yixuan are PHENOMENAL and have found a permanent fan in me. I just wish their chemistry could be utilized in some other drama where they play a romantic cp (but that’s on me and my obsession with this ship)

I just wanted to talk about the main leads, other characters too had their moments and I'm sure they were as essential a part of it as the leads. (Shen Duo still makes me mad though, and ever since I saw the forced kiss she gave to Shiyi, I’m madder but HEY)

ps: the five-year separation, the lack of communication, and the fact that Shiyi did not contact her and left her hanging helped me sympathize with Xiaoju's character more. In the beginning, I was annoyed by her obliviousness but by the end, I felt like she too suffered and was wronged. If you put yourself in Xiaoju's shoes, you realize her character is very real (and well performed!) ALSO if we could get a few more scenes between them after the proposal my bittersweet heart for Shiyi could be satiated a little but oh well. Gotta accept it for what it is. At least the extra clip of them as parents is still there.

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bittersweet.

What makes this series different is that the plot isn’t cliché (imo), because the ML isn’t the one the FL has a crush on. He’s not the typical cool, smart, rich guy we see in most c/kdramas. He has his own imperfections and he isn’t afraid to speak his mind. He can be sassy and mean sometimes, but as time goes on, he starts embracing his vulnerable side and he’s not ashamed of it whatsoever. The FL is pretty immature and silly, but she’s a loyal friend. They have an interesting relationship. I liked how they went from enemies, to best friends and then later lovers. I just wish it hadn’t taken them so long to make it official, because for that reason the end felt a bit rushed. It definitely left the viewers with some questions unanswered, but nothing major, so Ig it’s alright. Another thing I wasn’t very fond of was when the ML had s3x with the FL when she was drunk in the last ep (I know it was consensual, but it still felt wrong). Overall, this drama wasn’t bad. It has everything, first loves, friendships, breakups, misunderstandings and it also teaches us that sometimes we have to let go of things and move foward. I liked the actors’ performance a lot, especially the main characters’. Watching their lives unfold throughout their high school and university years made me feel like I was growing up with them. I’ve watched this drama twice (only watched it up until the 17 ep the first time though), so I probably won’t rewatch, but it’s definitely worth a watch. :)

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What could have been

The teasing male lead, the hilarious bickering, the girl pining over someone else while the male lead pines over her before she realizes who's been there for her all along...all this combine to form one of my favorite types of romance, so this drama starts with a winning formula...but it never actually uses it to its full potential.

While I enjoyed seeing the female lead deal with unrequited love, it should not have SO. DAMN. LONG. She's deep in it for 25 episodes and it lingers for a few episodes after that, and we're hit with scene after scene of the female lead never taking the male lead seriously. Meanwhile, the second male lead (Cheng Lang) pines for another girl, and those two are given wayyy too much screentime. I never cared about them and they kept getting slow motion scenes.

We sort of have the opposite issue with the third couple, Qiu Le Tao and Huang Jun, who also have a really interesting story, but they get together so fast that I found it difficult to care for them. And I even like the ending of her reconnecting with their childhood classmate, but the show tried to give it shock factor and left the reveal till the very end, despite it being pretty obvious. The result of that was no time to develop the actual relationship, and a situation where her supposed best friend Xiao Ju didn't even know she was marrying until the engagement party.

In fact, the last few episodes are just filled with misunderstandings and time jumps, and I feel like the leads really lose their spark. They're supposed to be grown-up, but they're still written like children, and the show opts for "fun bickering" scenes when a more serious conversation was long overdue. The ending, overall, feels rushed and makes no sense, which is sad because the early high school and even college days were still enjoyable to watch despite the flaws.

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Hard to move on from!

Story:
Beautiful story! I especially loved how all the characters are from similar family backgrounds. The story progresses in a realistic pace, there's no rushing at all. The story feels complete, even though you'd crave to know more about the lives of the characters after the drama ends.
Acting:
Absolutely love the casting! I cannot imagine anybody else playing the roles of the characters. You can feel their emotions even through their silence. The great acting is definitely one of the reasons i find it hard to move on.
OST:
I'm obsessed! They helped to perfectly carry every scene. Now that I've finished the drama, listening to the tracks makes me cry knowing I will never experience the feeling of watching it for the first time again. My favorite song is "Do you know I'm waiting for you"
Rewatch value:
This is one of my comfort dramas now, and I would love to rewatch it when I'm feeling down.

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A Bittersweet Journey of Growing Up!

I'd like start writing this review by telling y'all that I am following the guidelines and won't summarize the show for you nor I'll give you a lot of major spoilers. (At least I'll try not to :) )

•Plot:-

This show actually reminded me of one of my favourite shows, Reply 1988 especially for the initial 10-12 Episodes. I loved the Main Gang and their journey of Growing Up. Their interactions with each other and their parents as well. You will actually laugh and cry with our Lovely Leads and their friends.

The way they grow up, the way they learn what growing up actually means is what makes this show a good watch. The plot although is your typical youth drama so nothing really outstanding there but it's a good show.
A show that'll take you through the memories of your school or college time.

• Characters + Acting:
(I won't give character descriptions here since I want you to watch the show yourself.)

My favourite character has to be Lu Shiyi although he ain't a perfecf person, he might appear naughty and not serious about his life but he genuinely likes and cares about Xiaoju. He doesn't actually force himself onto her which is commendable since you rarely see such ML. His interaction and chemistry with Xiaoju is the highlight of this show IMO.

Xia Xiaoju started off as a clumsy and "not so bright" girl who got transferred to a new school in a new city and is gradually shown as a Kind, Loyal and Warm girl who genuinely likes Cheng Lang and wants his happiness. The way she wrote those "secret letters" as Mango Pudding to support Cheng Lang showed that.
Though cuz her character was not given proper chance by the writers.... she took too long to understand herself, Shiyi's feelings and to not ponder over Cheng Lang continuously.

I wish if writers wrote Xiaoju a lil different.

Qiu Le Tao is the character which I didn't hate but neither loved. Le Tao while not being able to handle her own relationship gave advices to Xiaoju on "Love". She kept pestering Xiaoju to chase after Cheng Lang which actually didn't do any better for Xiaoju.

Lin You's character was meh :-\
While I liked Cheng Lang, he was a good BF, a good Friend and good son. I wish he had a different ending as well.

I liked the parents too, although they don't standout that much unlike Reply Series but they did a good job in their parts.

Now coming to the "Acting" part,
Each and every actor actually did a good job in portraying their respective characters. The Leads as well as the supporting cast did well in living their characters. Richard Wang has become one of my favourite C-Actors and Hu Yuxian is so Good. Having watched her before in "Unforgettable Love" she did a good job here too.

• The OST:-
I liked all the songs although I didn't know the back story of those old songs which they featured, it was still good and will make you feel the warmth of Friendship and Love.

• Things that I didn't like:-

erhhhhh.... The Writing

The writers actually wrote well till I'd say Episode 20 and captured the immaturity, the lessons you learn after committing mistakes or failing. But then the show started dragging unnecessarily with Xia Xiaoju chasing after Cheng Lang despite knowing that he doesn't like her but Lin You.
While ignoring the affection shown by Lu Shiyi to her. This chasing and failing again and again kept going till E32 when finally the story moved away from this arc but by that time it was too late and chaotic which made the writers to rush and grab the clutter they made in which they didn't do a "Good Job" I'd say.

This whole clutter actually kinda ruined the ending and stole the time away from our Lead Characters, their relationship and the time that they could've spent together as a couple who are still learning 'What being a Grown-up means?'

Left a lotta things unexplained like why Shiyi pretended to have a girlfriend.
Besides it left me wanting more.
I wanted to see the parents' reaction when they would've found out about Xiaoju and Shiyi. The whole mess they created in last 2 Eps ahhhhhhh >.<

There were some unnecessary plotlines and characters which could've been missed but were given focus like Xiaoju's classmate "Cheng Le" (Played by the Bad Guy from Skate into Love), that whole story arc was unnecessary.

•Conclusion:-

Despite not being satisfied with that ending (it's happy ending don't worry!) it's still a good watch. If you love Youth Dramas then definitely watch it but be prepared to have that "wanting more" feeling at the end.
If you'd ask me 'If I'd rewatch this?'
then Yes! totally but perhaps skipping some parts after E20 and not watching the ending.

It's a good 8 ⭐ for me.

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Exactly like a river.

071922

I've been eyeing for this drama for so long. I still remember the first time I saw it and if I'm going to be honest, my first impression wasn't really impressive as it seems. I had these thoughts "Why do I feel like it won't exceed my expectations?" "Do they really have a good chemistry?" For someone who's fond or a sucker of the youth genre, I kept on questioning myself whether I should continue or not anymore (even though I only have watched a few of the episodes, around two to three or three to four). I don't know exactly why I felt that way, it's like I couldn't feel the drama at all but couldn't find the sole reason for it. However, one thing's for sure, I know for a fact that having those thoughts made me feel negative about it and yes, I was right. I immediately dropped it without giving it a chance and seriously, that was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever done. As months passed by, I started forgetting about it, and really, if I can go back in time, I think I would call myself out for being hypercritical and off. Now that I had the opportunity (which is already too late i guess?) I took it and I did not hesitate to start it all over again.

Stepping into the drama, I wouldn't say much because a lot of people here already voiced out what I had to share and I definitely agree with most of them. It's a 9 out of 10 for me because there were a lot of strong points which made it different than the usual such as the gradual formation of different relationships, a sensible slice-of-life plot, and the flamboyant portrayal of the characters. Not to mention, it wasn't a pain in the neck or problematic compared to other dramas that I've watched, to the point that I could just honestly count how many times I felt mad, sad, or disappointed whenever I put myself in the shoes of the different characters. In short, little to no issues. I've watched a couple of youth dramas but this has to be one of the best. The only thing that caught me off guard was the last few episodes. Just like others, I still have a lot of questions in my mind. It was too sudden or rushed, and wasn't able to give justice to most of them. It felt as if they gave that positive ending (Shi Yi and Xiaoju as well as Le Tao and Bao Bao) just to satisfy the viewers, you know, to make us happy. Of course, I would also be glad if I could get a good ending but that wasn't what I've expected it to be. The sudden jumps really threw me off that even the natural side of it became unrealistic in a way. It's such a pity because it felt like the whole drama turned into waste but then, by all means, I wouldn't let that as a reason to say that it was exceptionally good. Despite all these, I love(d) the characters and the actors and actresses who portrayed them. I enjoyed the acting, the music, the scenes (especially Shi Yi and Xiaoju's slow-motion scenes), and most importantly, the lessons in life. Who would've thought that with the many dramas that I've watched, I could still find realizations for this? Let alone that I'm picky towards dramas (even movies, series, shows or whatever it is)

Nonetheless, I would certainly recommend this. If you wanted to kill your time, this is a good thing to spend it with. Although I would like to add, please don't be dismayed by the episodes. I think it's normal since 1 episode for them is like 30-40 minutes so 2 episodes for them can be just one episode for other dramas.

Anyway, hoping for more dramas with these actors and actresses.

"Everyone is running towards each other without realizing someone's running behind them too." A comment I found in YT that I would commend because it is exactly how the drama was, which explains or explained why the title is a river runs through it.

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Perfect heart ranching drama!

It's such a beautiful drama. Not only depicts how girls are often treated but also how much difficulties girls could face. Also the romance part was so tangling .It was like a chain. Starting from Shen duo and ending with Yuan Ancheng. Although Lin You did not marry Yuan Ancheng at the end but I wish she would chose Cheng Lang that time. Cz I always rooted for Shiyi. Who wouldn't want to be loved secretly like him. This kind of love hardly exists now. The way he cared for Xiaoju is beyond anything else.And not to mention LeTao. She won my heart honestly. Every one needs a friend like her. That's it. Half I cut for rewatch value..cz I personally don't usually repeat watching a drama.

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Journey from childhood to adulthood

A River Runs Through It : I just finished it, I loved it so much because it managed to show the genuine and true emotions. Selection of the title is amazing consider 'River' as 'Memories' or 'Life'. The drama has the 90s set up like walkman, cassette, video games, dvd player, computers, unknown/unnmed love letters, picnic, helping n friendly neighborhood, struggle of enrolling into college, exam/love failure phase. It brings back the nostalgia and memorable days of the School/College/Hostel life friendship & love.
The only thing in my time, girls dont have access to boys hostel/dorm and vice versa ?. The storylines were relatable and touching. It manage to show the bittersweetness to the fullest. The bonding it shows btwn the parents & youth was amazing. The acting was great you can easily connect with the characters, beautifully presented the growth from childhood till adulthood with the ups n downs.

I was really touched ? by the school Teacher farewell speech:
"Dear Students,
Graduation isn't an end. Quite the opposite, its a fresh start. I sincerely hope you guys can be brave the wind & wave of you lives. Dont give up while facing difficulties. Learn to be grateful. Be grateful to your parents bcoz their love for you is limitless. And be grateful to yourself the efforts you made yesterday made you who you are today."

Also when the 5 went for picnic to cheer up Cheng Lang, then in back ground Xia Xiaoju reading these line:
"When you are in love with someone the whole of you will be attracted to him, facinated by him, worried for him & nervous for him.You miss him when he out of your sight and when he is right before you get shy and not even dare to face him."

Its true that you'll do all the stupid & crazy things when in love. To gain/win your loveable persons love, sometimes you end up getting hurt or hurting them but in this proccess you ignore the person who is really there for you by mistakenly you hurt them. But its better to end it on a good note, in the end you want you crush or ex to be happy.

I like that being in love rivalry phase also they manage to cope up with each other and maintain their freindship and always helpful.

I must say Lu Shiyi in particular really shined as a character. I felt bit bad for Cheng Lang & Huang Jun.

Music : The song live in my mind rent free from the drama ?
Inexplicably, I have a crush on you,
I fall in love with you,
There is no reaaon for it,
Do you know, i am waiting for you....?

The Disappointments:
* Menglu who purposely tried to break Huang Jun & Tao Tao. Huang Jun lied to Tao Tao even after she gave him another chance. 
* Lin You had the personality and character was ruined by breaking Cheng Lang's heart not once but THREE TIMES. 
* Storylines were rushed at the ending ep. 35 & 36.

But I'll definitely recommend the drama, worth watching until ep. 33/34 and I would like to watch again!

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The plot summary does not do this show justice!

I held off on watching this show for months because the plot summary made me think this was going to be draggy and not really romance genre. However, this show I swear made me staying up for over 24 hours a day to keep watching. It is amazing. I simply fell in love with the ML and I liked how the female lead wasn't made to be incredibly dumb or incapable. The chemistry between the ML and FL was amazing and this is definitely worth the watch. This show had me genuinely crying for the characters and the drama in the show is amazing. Very similar to my youth.

side note SPOILER: the only thing that made me sad was that the ML and FL only ended up together in the last part of the last episode so we don't really get to see anymore of their love blossom.

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A story of everyday life with progress and respect

I really liked this drama although it is completely out of my genre. The plot, the character developments, the scenery, the OST... I enjoyed all of it. But what me absolutely addicted to it, was the acting of all characters, especially the superb acting of Wang Rui Chang. He and the FL were acting so naturally, so believeable that at times I completely forgot it's a drama and not their real life. Which ususally does not happen to me. KUDOS to the actors. I also enjoyed that the plot was about normal people in everyday life, not super rich families with their super spoiled heirs and intrigues. Just people like you and me (actually rather my grandkids ;) with joy and worry, discovering themselves and how they want to stand in life. I recommend this drama for sure and will rewatch it for sure.

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An amazing high-school and youth drama

This drama is such a master piece the journey starts from high school they share such a beautiful friend ship during highschool and one sided love of xiouju with chenlang and it extends till the college atlast she realises her love for shiyi while he s going abroad then they will unite only in last epi If u are looking for romance and flouffy drama then it's not ur type this drama is about youth friendship and lil love the friendship between shiyi chenlang Bao Bao tao xiouju haunjun and their room mates were portrayed beautifully tao is such a amazing girl in the drama huanjun and tao firstwill be together but poor huanjun will not Cherish her and tao will end up with Bao Bao chenlang will be so much in love with linyou but linyou will go back to abroad with her ex and married another foreigner oh my poor chenlang he will not get a pair in this drama the cute fight between ml and fl chenlang is like their dad while solving their fights it's a beautiful drana with amazing storyline and cast ost is amazing spl thanks to the subbers yoyo YouTube channel for making bit available for international fans

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