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nice story and scenes
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This review may contain spoilers
What I want to tell everyone when considering this title :)
Hey :)Normally I don't write reviews so please bear with me for this one. When I considered this title I read a lot of comments and reviews for it, and then watched it. If u are wondering whether or not to watch it, the answer for me personally would be YES!, but in the following, I will mention some things to help u decide on your own.
The "Bad" Stuff a.ka. the things I disliked or others mentioned and I noticed, too:
THE BEGINNING
For me, this drama started fairly cute with their first meet and then just did not catch me in the romance department at first. Maybe because I am one hell of an introvert and I felt like I would never (be able to) act the way the FL did (not that that is a bad thing, she is just rather extroverted). Still, I continued watching because during the beginning what catched me really though was the flashbacks. And yes, I know, flashbacks can be sooo annoying. But these were really nice. They told the story of the original e-sport team solo, while parallely showing us the members in the current time. During those flashbacks we learned how they are connected but we still do not learn, why their relationships went sour. For this part I must applaud the writers: I really didn't feel the instant connection to the romance at first, but the background was really really nicely set and I was hooked on their story!
-> if u want to see an amazingly sweet lovestory don't give up in the first 1/4 of the drama (maybe just skip a few scenes now an then if u don't want to wait toooo long)
THE FEMALE LEAD'S JOB
The summary tells us what she does professionally and that she is a smart bee. The drama does not focus on this much. Many reviews mentioned that she is just not put in focus on her dreams much. And too SOME extend I agree. We get to see her in her school a lot, and we get to see her talk about it. It is mentioned and sometimes shown a little (f.e. signing event). It is just not the main focus of the drama. Do I dislike this? NO, because I see it that way: This drama is about the e-sports team and their leader GUN, who falls in love with the female lead. Of course, other dramas have shown us how nicely both storylines can be included but I don't mind that this one did not. They still mention her songs, and her job as a "future scientist", and we even get really cute romantic interactions out of it.
-> if u want to watch a drama about a successful women focusing on her job, that might not be ur drama -sorry :)
and that's it for the bad stuff for me
The "Good" Stuff a.k.a the reason why I want to watch this title again and why I wanted to write this review.
THE ACTORS/ACTING
Oh boy, I just can say. I loved it. The main cast were so perfect in their storytelling. The ML was just chef's kisses. I really bought the cold/resevered trainer turned sweetly smiling lover, and to be honest, I fell in love with him, too. And the FL, sweet and innocent but really mature in the relationship. Smart and independent on her job(s) but really sweet and lovely when with him. The other cast members were also really really nice.
THE LOVESTORY
It starts from a short meeting in a internet cafe and it end just as sweet as sugar. Did I hate the ml at some points for being so cold? Ah, maybe. But that was also his charm. And what I have to add: Oh boy, what a really really nice and relatebly done "cold-turned-to-loving-and-devoted". It was not a change like day/night just because he fell in love with her. While writing this reaaaallllly long review I thought about the changes the people went through at certain stages of the drama. The ML has the biggest. And it is so well done. It's relateable, sweet and fun to see him grow out of his past terrors and opening up, first to only her and then to the whole team and his (old) friends.
Is there a lovers drama? Yes, and I hated it, but it fit right in. To be honest I skipped a few scenes during that time because I just did not want to see them separated long, but it was not painfully made. They found together pretty quickly and they stayed together from that point on.
I know I am taking too much of ur time, so I will stop here. Many things are unsaid about this drama and I could talk about it for a very long time. I don't want to praise it to much. It is certainly not the best drama I have ever seen, but it certainly also is not the worst. It's a really fun drama, with a really good cast and acting, a nice story, a funny match-making grandpa, an interesting background story, one of the sweetest age-gap-romances I know, some e-sports background with a funny group of young boys calling the FL "sister-in-law" right from the beginning (I love that! O2O vibes honestly), and a rewatch value (at least for me:))
If u still here, and consider watching that drama, my 2 seconds of advice:
Stick to it, and get over the first quarter of the drama to see a really sweet romance unfold in front of u! Don't give up, only because the first 8-10 ep. don't really catch ur romantic heart just yet!
have fun watching and I hope I could help u, if not, sorry ^^
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PRETTY GOOD
Congratulations to the cast and team!It was 41 episodes and I did skim through a lot to be honest. The story line I liked it. I cried, laugh and suck my teeth. It was a bit too patriotic to me though and they focused so much on age instead of living life. My partner is 10.5 years older than me what does it matter. How is 30 years old considered old it's not even middle age. Sigh
Overall 9
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Liked:
- Easy to follow, fluffy and cute, everything you want when you decide to watch a romantic comedy. Yang Zi is a great actress and her acting and humor make the whole thing even better. She also really does her character justice and I love how her character is brilliant and has her own hopes and dreams.
- This is probably contested because people tend to hate the use of flashbacks/subplot, but I think this drama does it so well. Like the core of the story is about a group of individuals who had a dream and the story that plays out afterwards, the regret, the disappointment, the reforming of relationships etc.
- Cute sub characters who add to the joy of watching the drama.
Dislikes:
- "love at first sight" meh. I don't really believe in this.
- It felt a bit long at times and I think could have found ways for it to be shorter
- Not enough focus on Hu Yi Tian HEH. Only because I like him a lot lol
WATCH!!! :) It's worth it la
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Things I love
Han Shang Yan was amazing as he was and I love the black outfits. He did really well for a character that had a very antagonistic personality. Tong Nian did just as well as a ditzy, naive and very pure girl. The couple chemistry was really great and I could feel the cuteness oozing from them. Would have loved more couple moments. The whole idea of the Capture the Flag (CTF) competition, love at first sight and even the friendship ties can be commended and was done relatively well. The whole story revolved around CTF and unfortunately, it wasn't explained too well. But a very interesting concept and something I had never heard of before. The love at first sight was a classic and I love the play on that for the first few episodes. The friendship bonds and also the past interlinking with the present was done well, though flashbacks had one too many (easy to skip over though, you don't miss much). And the past was a bit what... a bit of a no big deal.
Oooh and I also absolutely loved the whole candy motif throughout. It was amazing and worked really well for character building and solidifying. Giving Han Shang Yan a unique quirk that defines him and can sum him up in a few words. Loved that candy tin and how it appeared throughout the whole thing.
My main concern
The plot or lack of plot or more like drag and unnecessary filler episodes. The first 18 episodes were stellar and very nicely done. Then we went on a whole tangent of Han Shang Yan being a jerk until 28ish episodes and that really put a dent in the storyline and actually detracted from the romance and the overall plot. And while that was happening, they decided to add this superficial romance between two side characters that was so awkward and unnatural. I wouldn't say they rushed the ending, but I feel like it could have been planned out a whole lot better. The whole CTF competition faded into the background and suddenly it wasn't that important who won or lost. The story had such a strong start and the couple chemistry was amazing, so I question why the breakdown in plot happened. It definitely brings down the rewatch value.
Music
Songs were amazing and loved both of them singing their tunes. Downloaded the soundtrack right away to listen to, very inspirational and emotional. And I love how they added them singing songs too. So cute, couple goals.
Rewatch value
I’d definitely binge the first few episodes to around 18 including their first aquarium trip out to Hawaii. That was pure gold and I absolutely loved seeing Tong Nian chasing Han Shang Yan. And seeing them bond, really bond. Then I’d skip episodes 20-30 completely irrelevant and super frustrating. Just a mid subplot that added no value and was like what...? The ending did get messy and felt like a rush to the end or even an ending that wasn’t thought out carefully enough. Like they weren’t sure how to exactly end the love story. But definitely rewatching cute moments because their chemistry was hot but also very endearing at the same time.
Overall I can say a solid drama with some good cute acting. And funny scenes that make it super lighthearted, nothing too heavy. Very contemporary drama about growth, learning to forgive and friendship and love. Some really nice themes underlying the whole drama. Just be prepared for the drop and lag in plot midway - just skip through it! As always keen to hear your thoughts! xx
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This review may contain spoilers
Easily 10/10
I don’t know why I stumbled with this drama in the beginning, but I must admit that I didn’t regret every single second I watched this! I’m not a gamer and honestly I never too interest with the gaming theme, but I really excited to watch this drama. Well, this drama not exactly about gaming, but about CTF (Catch The Flag), a type of wargame, which is a computer security competition. I’m not fully understand, but I enjoying watching it and somehow understand a little more about CTF.What I love about this drama is that the CTF, friendship, romance and family have the same portion.
The friendship in K&K team and Team Solo (in the end) is really worth watching for. Their friendship and bond are really sweet makes me want to go to my best friends and give them a hug.
The romance between Han Shang Yan and Tong Nian is really sweet and ridiculous at the same time. At some point I get annoyed at Tong Nian’s attitude or manner to chase Han Shang Yan before he have the feeling for her. But then, I found that that’s really funny I can’t help but laugh. It’s also a cheesy coincidence that their family is an old friend, but thanks to that, the main leads can start their relationship even just a fake relationship. Even it’s just a fake relationship, but I adore how Han Shanyan treat Tong Nian.
The second romance is come from Mi Shaofei and Sun Yaya. Start of idol-fans relationship, their romance is so light and heartwarming. If this drama will have a second season, I want to watch their interaction more.
The first conflict is about friendship of Team Solo, which then divided into two team, K&K and SP. This conflict is not explained directly and explicitly. In the early episodes we were introduced with the conflict, but not until the middle of the drama we understand what the cause of it. The problem solving is so touching and heartbreaking at the same time. What makes it heartbreaking for me is that it’s the first time I saw Han Shang Yan look so sad and lost.
The second conflict is about relationship between Han Shang Yan and Tong Nian. I’m really grateful that the conflict is not about another woman/man. The conflict is come from Tong Nian’s mother and it’s really suffocating. I hate her treatment towards Han Shang Yan and how she forced him to leave her daughter. But, when I place myself into her position, I can understand her reason. Not only Han Shang Yan and Tong Nian have a quite large gap of age, but Han Shang Yan profession is not something can easily accept by any parents, not to mention that Tong Nian’s mother is a teacher.
Now for the positive and negative thing I have for this drama. The positive things are :
1. There’s very little plot hole in this drama I can’t even remember what is the plot hole
2. Each characters are so strong (I will try to describe it in the following paragraph)
3. The extraordinary theme (for me) makes me not bored watching it
As for the negative things are :
1. Tong Nian’s is told to be a genius girl, not to mention she took the major that related to Han Shang Yan business, but the drama didn’t explore her strength. She only asked to make the program for K&K’s speed training and the face recognition at K&K’s building entrance. They can explore more in my opinion.
2. They didn’t show the competition or the comeback of Team Solo. I really want to see their performance (｡•́︿•̀｡)
Now for the acting. First of all, Li Xian (Han Shang Yan). At first, I didn’t really adore him, but his appearance at net café makes me fall head over heels for him. Especially for his physical appearance (≧◡≦) ♡ His acting made Han Shang Yan's character very much alive. He can describe very well for the times when Han Shang Yang became harsh because of his role as leader of the K&K. He can also describe very well Han Shang Yan who is very attentive to his first girlfriend, or Han Shang Yang who is clueless about dating because he is very inexperienced.
Yang Zi’s acting is very adorable too. Even she’s just a year younger than Li Xian, but she can act that she’s much younger than him. Yang Zi also made Tong Nian’s character alive and loveable.
Their chemistry is so real, makes me wish that they’re together in a real life too ( ◡‿◡ *)
Any other casts who I adore because of their acting are Hu Yi Tian and Li Ze Feng.
Hu Yi Tian is played as Han Shang Yan’s cousin (Wu Bai/DT) and he’s like Han Shang Yan’s guardian because of his calmness. Although sometimes he has a different opinion with Han Shang Yan (especially about money), but he is always willing to help Han Shang Yan. He is said to have an interest in Appledog, and I hope there will be a continuation of this drama to tell about the two of them.
Li Ze Feng is played as Han Shang Yang former leader at Team Solo (Wang Hao/Solo). Again, what attract me is his calmness and maturity. Even though Han Shang Yan always showed hatred towards him, he always responded with a smile and still tried to greet or make friends with him again.
Some of music I found for this drama :
1. 无名之辈 (Wúmíng zhī bèi / A Nameless Person) : Chen Xueran (opening theme song)
2. 牛奶面包 (Niúnǎi miànbāo / Milk Bread) : Yang Zi (ending theme song)
3. 爱不由我 (Ài bùyóu wǒ / Love Is Not Up To Me) : You Zhangjing
4. 給未來 (Gěi wèilái / Give to the Future) : Li Xian
5. 我可以不在乎你 (Wǒ kěyǐ bùzàihū nǐ / I Can Not Care About You) : Kimberley Chen
6. Couldn’t Leave : Dimash Kudaibergen
7. 光耀 (Guāngyào / Glory) : Lara Veronin
8. 一起走的幸福 (Yīqǐ zǒu de xìngfú / The Happiness of Walking Together) : Duan Aojuan
9. 海闊天空 (Hǎikuòtiānkōng / Wide Sky) : Fan Yi Chen
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Not to be missed C-Drama!
Watch this drama bcoz of Yang Zi whom I became a fan of after Ashes of Love.Initially I was a bit hesitant to watch it because it's an old drama, year 2019. But I'm really glad of my decision to watch this drama in spite of it. I can't seem to be able to leave it or move on from it. I'm watching the sequel which is focusing on second lead, Wu Bai love story but kept coming back to this drama. Have been re-watching it since and still unable to move on. Since it has 41 episodes, I still finds it interesting and entertaining to watch. A lot of feel good and humorous scenes.
Those who hasn't watch it yet, do so & you won't regret it!
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Like I said, it's a sweet story with a nice ending to boot. Great chemistry between main leads. Totally not a waste of your time.
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The perfect sunshine-grumpy romcom
My main issue with romcoms is the way they (mis) portray the sunshine and the grump in the sunshine - grumpy trope. The sunshine is always a boundary disrespecting, no filter, hyper active manic pixie girl who is infantalized by a scowling alpha introvert.I'm very pleased to tell you that this does not happen in Go Go Squid. From the first episode, I loved both Tong Nian and Han Shangyan. The writers get both the characters' shades right. Tong Nian is a sunny, personable, intelligent and accomplished young woman yet she is naive in a way only sheltered young women can be. She is respectful of Han Shangyan's boundaries and pulls down the walls that he's built around himself, one sweet smile at a time. Speaking of the latter, his gruff on the exterior and big softie on the inside personality had me hooked from the get-go. Han Shangyan is not your typical alpha male lead - for all his threatening attitude, he's actually a caring person and very, very vulnerable. The min he realises he's fallen for Tong Nian, you start seeing how he changes (in fact, that mean-to-everyone-but-a-gentle-giant-only-to-her attitude had me MELTING). He does not infantalize her even though he recognises that she's much younger to him not does he get all huffy-puffy and male ego-y because she's much better than him in every aspect (personality, intelligence, education and wealth). He is more than happy to support her just as much as she is ready to support him. Really, their love story was so wholesome to watch.
All additional characters were also wonderful and kind (unlike the extremely bitchy and nasty society shown in LoveO2O) and the production aesthetics one of the best that I've seen in c-dramas (I'm still new. Have only watched 6 thus far).
Go Go Squid has replaced My Little Happiness as the best c-drama I've watched and I cannot wait to discover more of Li Xian and Yang Zi's works.
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It was okay
I knew this drama was big when it was aired but I just got the chance and the will to watch it since I needed more of Li Xian's acting after finishing Meet Yourself. The plot itself is actually fine, the flashbacks and the foundations of the plot and the gaming competitions scenes are fine and quite interesting, but I just cannof bear to watch some scenes. The earlier episodes where FL chased ML relentlessly, trespassed and bothered him and ML always wanted to avoid conflict by not denying anything bother me a lot. It just doesn't make sense to me. FL character is too dependent, too clingy, and too giving to the ML even tho she is a Master student with IQ 140. FL also isn't bothered by the actions of ML that keeps taking her for granted (in early episodes) and huting her, she is too accepting. ML character who likes to throw tantrum without communicating it out also bothers me. He supposed to be 30, at least he can talk. I skipped some scenes. Thankfully, it gets better in the latter episodes and it was okay. Li Xian is very handsome and Yang Zi is very cute. I endured just to see them.Was this review helpful to you?
