2
13
3
virgievirgie
Lost in Dramaland
Sweet and Innocent teen drama - No GaoKao (college admission exam) for once!!!
Completed - 1/4/2022
"Summer Again" might not be a perfect drama, but to me, I really like it and I can't stop smiling while watching it. This is my second teen drama that I rated a 9.0, after my other favorite, "Forever Love". I finally found a Chinese high school drama that is not focused on the evil GaoKao (College admission exam). There are so many other teen dramas, but you can't escape the plot of students stressing over the exam and parents being mean about it.
"Summer Again" is a breath of fresh air. The setting is at a small seaside town. The drama is about our young cast finding and loving their true selves, and discovering and working towards their dreams. Romance is present in the name of friendship. It's sweet and innocent, and there's no cheesy love lines or fluffy and intimate skinship. It's just pure innocent, caring and supportive friendships.
What I like:
1. Plot/No GaoKao - As mentioned, the focus of the drama is not about studying hard for the exam. I have watched a good number of teen C-Dramas, and this might be the only one that I can remember that has nothing to do with the exam. It's just normal high school life in a small town. Our young cast grow and learn about themselves. Of course, they encounter similar challenges in other teen dramas, but I think it's a refreshing take as it all happened in a small town.
2. Realistic teenagers - We have normal teenagers doing what normal teenagers do. They hang out, dress, talk and act like teenagers. Our male lead is not cold-on-the-outside and mean to FL, nor was he a genius or a failing student. He's just a normal kid who happens to be a famous comic book author. Our female lead is not naive or shy or a pushover. She's an above-average student, not particularly smart or dumb. Even if ballet takes center stage, she's not a superstar ballerina. All characters act like their age. I also like that none of them is dumb or naive
3. Romance/Friendship - We don't have outright romances here. There's no lovey-dovey fluffiness. Not even a kiss. or the confession of "I Like You". Once in a while, a romance like this is refreshing. Our leads are caring and supportive friends. They have open and honest conversations. They listen and support each other, and don't try to change each other. They help each other think things through in order to come to their own decisions. They show affection through actions. It's simple, sweet, and innocent.
4. Ballet - I appreciate our FL performing all her dances. And no, don't expect expert ballet dancing. Her dance is simple and amateurish, and definitely not showcasing someone who has been dancing for years. I can't say for sure, but there are enough shots to show her head /body/legs to know that FL does her own dancing. On the other hand, I can also tell that her teacher is a ballet dancer (I looked him up and he is). You can tell by the way he presents himself and the few dance steps he did - very light on the feet!
5. Gift Giving - What a creative way for ML to give the farewell present to FL when they are under the tree.
What I don't quite like as much:
1. Love triangle - ML only has eyes for FL and he makes that very clear. I still think that the jealous 3FL storyline lasted a little too long. Even though I pity her circumstances, her mean actions get repetitive and annoying after a while.
2. Acting - The overall acting of the main cast is not bad. However, the other minor characters' acting is not quite up to standards. For example, I am not sure if the ballet teacher is supposed to act so stoic and wooden because of his role, or his acting is not that great.
"Summer Again" might not be a perfect drama, but to me, I really like it and I can't stop smiling while watching it. This is my second teen drama that I rated a 9.0, after my other favorite, "Forever Love". I finally found a Chinese high school drama that is not focused on the evil GaoKao (College admission exam). There are so many other teen dramas, but you can't escape the plot of students stressing over the exam and parents being mean about it.
"Summer Again" is a breath of fresh air. The setting is at a small seaside town. The drama is about our young cast finding and loving their true selves, and discovering and working towards their dreams. Romance is present in the name of friendship. It's sweet and innocent, and there's no cheesy love lines or fluffy and intimate skinship. It's just pure innocent, caring and supportive friendships.
What I like:
1. Plot/No GaoKao - As mentioned, the focus of the drama is not about studying hard for the exam. I have watched a good number of teen C-Dramas, and this might be the only one that I can remember that has nothing to do with the exam. It's just normal high school life in a small town. Our young cast grow and learn about themselves. Of course, they encounter similar challenges in other teen dramas, but I think it's a refreshing take as it all happened in a small town.
2. Realistic teenagers - We have normal teenagers doing what normal teenagers do. They hang out, dress, talk and act like teenagers. Our male lead is not cold-on-the-outside and mean to FL, nor was he a genius or a failing student. He's just a normal kid who happens to be a famous comic book author. Our female lead is not naive or shy or a pushover. She's an above-average student, not particularly smart or dumb. Even if ballet takes center stage, she's not a superstar ballerina. All characters act like their age. I also like that none of them is dumb or naive
3. Romance/Friendship - We don't have outright romances here. There's no lovey-dovey fluffiness. Not even a kiss. or the confession of "I Like You". Once in a while, a romance like this is refreshing. Our leads are caring and supportive friends. They have open and honest conversations. They listen and support each other, and don't try to change each other. They help each other think things through in order to come to their own decisions. They show affection through actions. It's simple, sweet, and innocent.
4. Ballet - I appreciate our FL performing all her dances. And no, don't expect expert ballet dancing. Her dance is simple and amateurish, and definitely not showcasing someone who has been dancing for years. I can't say for sure, but there are enough shots to show her head /body/legs to know that FL does her own dancing. On the other hand, I can also tell that her teacher is a ballet dancer (I looked him up and he is). You can tell by the way he presents himself and the few dance steps he did - very light on the feet!
5. Gift Giving - What a creative way for ML to give the farewell present to FL when they are under the tree.
What I don't quite like as much:
1. Love triangle - ML only has eyes for FL and he makes that very clear. I still think that the jealous 3FL storyline lasted a little too long. Even though I pity her circumstances, her mean actions get repetitive and annoying after a while.
2. Acting - The overall acting of the main cast is not bad. However, the other minor characters' acting is not quite up to standards. For example, I am not sure if the ballet teacher is supposed to act so stoic and wooden because of his role, or his acting is not that great.
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