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Started because of JJY, stayed because of WRC and BWJ
If you are a fan of SWL, move along because I didn’t care for his character at all. A total Mary Sue but soooo bland. I have major second and third lead syndrome. I’m thoroughly charmed by Lei Zexin and Yu Lexuan! Their individual stories were more fleshed out than both the two main leads.I didn’t care much for the relationship between the actual ML and FL. Their development was totally lacking, like you were being forced to accept that the FL would just fall for the ML, despite having the other two guys being more supportive and caring to her.
The friendship built between the FL and Lexuan and the FL and Zexin were more interesting: how Lexuan always helped the FL with earning money for her family, and protecting her in his own way from the bullying of the student council by always stepping in at the right time; and how Zexin took the FL under his wing from the moment they met at the forest, to her saving him numerous times in his nightly vigilante escapes, to them having their shixiong-shidi/brotherly bond. The only time I was deeply touched was on their last scene together, when he offered wine sacrifice to her father and his brother, and he told her he will always be her family and JJY had teary eyes, but he still flicked her forehead. SO MUCH CHEMISTRY!!!
On a happy note, it was also fun to watch their actions to protect the FL’s secret after they each learned the truth that she was a girl.
I dont have much love for the FL character also, there were so many times that she made idiotic decisions despite being labeled as “intelligent”. And she was always just glaring at her opponent/agressor when caught in a bind. There was no intelligent plot line for her. I was waiting for a brilliant solve from her for so many instances but nothing happened. She was just giving tiny inspirational speeches that didn’t contribute much. The intelligent and heroic schemes/acts to solve the many issues were passed to the ML to further his Mary Sue-ness. And her family issues were present just at the beginning and towards the very end. The “quest” to secure her family’s future and legacy was non-existent for the most part. Her supposed intelligence was only shown at the first couple of episodes, but after the entrance exam, was never highlighted again!
The comedic value of the principal and the classmate sidekicks were a pleasant surprise. And also Mu Xiao Man being so much more talented and capable than the FL, like WTF? but a pleasantly surprised WTF. :))) She is talented in music, dance, art, she was proactive with the main propaganda and fighting for justice, and she can fight. GO GIRL!
Overall, wouldn’t recommend except for the pleasure of enjoying the charming performances of Wang Rui Chang and Bi Wenjun.
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Ju Jing Yi (Xue Wen Xi) and Song Wei Long (Feng Cheng Jun). The chemistry was there somewhat but it was because of the storyline which you must see. I didn't want her to end up with that character... but this guy Wang Rui Chang (Lei Ze Xin) what a cutie. lol, We all have an opinion.
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I'll first focus on the items that had me boiling:
- The show never gave me a reason to really root for Wenxi and Chengjun to be together. In fact, they never really dove into either of the characters' psyches. We knew Wenxi's motivation to enter into the school - to provide for her mother and brother - but we weren't given any deep glimpses into her relationships with them. Chengjun is even more of a mystery. I felt like I didn't know anything about him beyond the surface level until the last ten episodes.
- The romance. Where did it come from??? The bromance on the show was so high - between Wenxi and Chengjun, and Wenxi and Zexin. Both men were putting their necks out on the line, promising themselves to protect Wenxi until their dying breaths, but it was only until it was revealed that she was a woman, that that affection turned into love? I can assume Chinese censors were at play in sanitizing the romance, but c'mon. Wenxi is literally the same exact person, her personality never changed. There was absolutely no whiff of romance until her gender was revealed.
- The politics were dreadfully boring. I've seen worse, but I don't think the show was able to weave the politics into the story well. I often felt like I was watching two different shows.
Now the things that had me smiling:
- I love that the show didn't dwell on the typical cross-dressing hijinks in the early parts of the show, like the FL trying to take a bath and almost getting caught. While important in showing how out-of-place the FL can be in a men's-only situation, those jokes are tired and boring and don't really add much to the plot. Thankfully, if I recall correctly, there's only a handful of scenes, if any, where the FL is in this type of sticky situation, and they usually resolve it very quickly. Typically by using an excuse that she's frail and weak lol.
- The camaraderie between the Above Clouds Quartet was an absolute blast to watch. All four characters have distinct personalities and relationships with one another. They all bring value to the group and any hardships that one of them face, they are all willing to sacrifice themselves to save each other. Very heartwarming and lovable.
- Zexin and Lexuan are the most interesting characters in the show. The flashbacks to Zexin and Lexuan's past is what they should have done to Wenxi and Chengjun. We knew what was driving each of their characters, we knew their end goals, we could relate to them. Because the show did a fantastic job developing their characters, we could feel what was at stake when they ran into trouble. I wish I could say the same about Wenxi, especially considering she had the most to lose if her identity were ever to be revealed!
All in all, I did enjoy the show. It's been quite some time since I watched Sungkyunkwan Scandal, so I can't recall a lot about it but I do feel like In A Class of Her Own did a good job of capturing its essence. In A Class of Her Own is a very easy watch, definitely a good show to watch mindlessly with no expectations. The interactions between the Above Clouds Quartet are easily the best part of the show.
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Lost Potential...
The first few episodes were so interesting, and hooked me right away. I have a guilty soft spot for Hana Kimi-type stories, and this seemed like a perfect one to curl up against after a busy day. The music is lovely, the animal sound effects are hilarious, the lead actress is adorable and well-cast, the lead actors are all very handsome, the production quality is very high. It really started off so well and I was immediately invested. But then...This show could have been leaps and bounds better had the three MLs discovered her gender within the first 10-15 eps. There could have been so many more interesting conflicts and better comedy if they knew and she didn't know. Instead, nobody knows anything, potential scene set ups go nowhere, and on ep 24 I still can't really tell you what's going on because nothing is going on. They completely dropped the dialogue novel subplot a third way through, which was disappointing because it was such a good side story. If I were the writer, I'd have used it to parallel/reflect the evolution of the romance between the characters in real life throughout the drama. I really, really want to go in there and wrangle with the script myself. Also, ML feels more like a 3ML because of how little romance there is until near the end of the show. She has wayyy more chemistry with Ao Lei and Le Xuan. Extreme second lead syndrome. This could have been fixed or overlooked had the reveal been done earlier, as I mentioned before.
There is such a perfect mix of ingredients and characters here for a very good rom com, but it's like the writers couldn't decide which genre this story is supposed to be. They should have focused on the rom com aspects, because it's too lighthearted for the whole political conspiracy they tried to revolve the story around, neutering the parts of the show that are actually interesting.
I'm still finishing it because it's a pretty show, and I like the characters a lot, but the whole drama can be summed up as: lost potential. :(
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The First Chinese Historical Drama I Watched....
At first I was not that into historical dramas. I watched this drama for the male leads Song Wei Long, Bi Wen Jun and Wang Rui Chang. But now I really really like this drama not only because of the male leads but also the story line, ost, their acting , their chemistry and so on. Please do watch this drama , it's so amazing.Also I like the Female Lead, who is so cute and her acting is also so cool.....
The female lead disguise herself as a man and get into the academy only for men. And she became friends with the male leads , then the story goes on. The story shows us a good bromance too.
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Justice for Sungkyunkwan Scandal
If you read the novel or watched the KDrama "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" like me, it's easy to conclude that the Chinese remake pales by comparison. As Park Min-young and Park Yoo-chun led this drama marvelously, considering this was their "early" works it still became a cult classic. A decade later, we have a beautiful woman, and these young and handsome men refreshing this aged story. Honestly, the actors are too good for their roles. I can see why the four leads' careers took off because they certainly had the capability to be great actors. Xue Wenxi is eye-candy and her characterization is quite convincing. I have a soft spot for Park Min-young, but Xue Wenxi's acting didn't fall behind. Song Weilong, Bi Wenjun, and Wang Ruichang are good too but it's obvious the quality of their performances is not as consistent. I'm not sure if it was the direction or personal choice, but surely there's something lacking that was present in the original material. If good looks sprinkled with some comedy are enough to keep you entertained, then this is the show for you.Was this review helpful to you?
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Lukewarm Rom Com
Not much romance, but a lot of friendships and scoring points for the good guys. No senseless deaths or sacrificing a character just for drama sake. The leads were actors I like, and even the secondary characters were also likeable. Wish the writers had developed a few more personal relationships along the way too. The soulful expressions on the faces of the ML & FL were endearing. I love Song Wei Long and Chen Yi Long.The storyline was pretty simple, no dramatic twists or WTH (what-the-heck) moments. Just good, light-hearted fun and light watching to pass the time. This is why I watch these dramas, to escape everyday life and all that chaos. So, if you're looking for something entertaining and light, this is a pretty good choice.
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3 Boys and 1 annoying girl at academy
I am not into school setting drama, modern or ancient one, it's over my time line. I watched this drama because of nothing else is better to do...between skipped...did chores...fast forward...I managed to finish this drama. What I like about this drama was Song Wei Long, he has depth and his melodramatic eyes that would tell how much he's been through in life. School setting for different age students in ancient times with boarding life....3 students in a room..one was an ass, a beautiful girl disguising as a boy, and a prime minister's son. The story line was all over the place, many holes on the plots, twists that fill in the gap...wth. Ju Jing Yi acting so boring...pretty annoying with so called 'cover up her disguised' behavior, as she has other dramas with Zhang Zhe Han, Ju JingYi's acting pretty juvenile good for teen girls. She has always that make-up 'pinkish or reddish' under the eye from too pale make up face that, to me, like she's sick or got bruise from a good slap. Nah....This drama was adapted from Sungkyunkwan Scandal (Korean drama) the plot and characters about the same and don't like neither one. The story is kind of basic...both guys fight for girl's affection and competitive between students...girls from outside school likes these boys...alright we know all the drills...predictable.
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Hilarious and heartwarming.
WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THIS DRAMA:I didn't know what to expect from this drama since I checked it out at first because I was a fan of the main leads and I love dramas with a few hot guys. But this drama has surprised me by being better than I ever imagined.
1. How the four main characters go through different trials and overcome obstacles, forming a close brotherhood (yes, even with the main girl lol) among themselves was heartwarming and fun to watch because we actually get to explore what their characters would do in different situations, and also get to connect and empathize with them.
2. It was hilarious to watch. I love the interactions between all of the characters - it is especially funny when the four of the main characters are together and make fun of each other. The teachers also make a great comedy group. I love that even if most of it is hilarious and had me laughing out loud many times like a crazy person, I also like the times when it becomes serious as we get closer to the truth of the whole mystery in the story. Every main character is well thought out and has a purpose and connection to the whole mysterious backstory of the plot.
3. I also like that this story shows that people can change even if they didn't start out as the best character because many times, that is what it is like in real life. The character development throughout is great, which I greatly appreciate because we also get to see changes in relationships among characters. Everyone in here has some kind of character development that makes sense, which is why I rate it so high, because this makes it interesting.
The two main characters:
---The thing I was mostly surprised about was how casual the main girl was even when she had somehow admitted into an academy full of men. In the beginning, she definitely had a problem dealing with living with men, but as the story progresses, she carries herself well, like a normal human being. I actually have a lot of problems with some cross-dressing dramas sometimes because the girl makes it soooooo obvious that she is a girl.... like, come on, people aren't actually this stupid. And this may be due to the scriptwriting, who knows. But the main actress here didn't do that, which I appreciate. IDK. it might be her acting, or the scriptwriting, or directing, but it just felt different and more natural, like how an actual person who is smart would act like. She also shows that she is a smart person, smarter than many of the men there even if she is a woman.
---This drama also made my heart flutter because I fricken love the male lead's character. Like, he is smart, caring, and strict, and hella good looking, but he is completely clueless about the opposite gender since he's always only focused on his studies. When he finally realizes that he loves the main girl, omg, it was cute and hilarious. He's just a character you can't help liking because he treats the main girl so well because he sees great potential in her and also willing to admit his mistakes.
WHAT I DISLIKED:
1. I was really looking forward to when the villain was finally caught and put in jail, dies, etc, whatever. This was supposed to have been the climax, but it really fell short, which made me REALLY disappointed. Like, everything just felt like a flop. Sigh. The whole drama was great overall, but the story revolved around trying to find the villain, yet it was just- ok, he got caught, that's it - type of feeling, making me feel empty inside.
2. Also, I wanted more romance between the main leads!!!!! I actually like that the love in here wasn't too complicated because it was more about friendship and equality. But still!!! I just wanted a little bit more and I would have been satisfied! I felt like the drama ended a bit too abruptly, with the epilogue not being long enough, which may have also contributed to the flop of the climax when the villain was finally caught.
Anyway, because of the reasons above, I rate this drama overall an 8.5.
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The wind of change brought by gentleman and woman
Waiting for that OG drama to be finished air I decided to watch this drama.I quite like it. Even though this drama has its + & - point of its own. But as the drama to help me fill the free time this sure is one easy going drama.
The plus point:
+ The brotherhood of all student. Really like the atmosphere of brotherhood of all the student. They make really strong bond upon many hardship they have to endure together. We also can say they become each other’s family.
+ no crazy love rival or jealousy
+ Really like the cunning Yu Le Xuan
+ The behavior of Feng Cheng Jun (CJ) after he see Xue Wen Xi (WX) as a woman is simply just funny & adorable.
+ Once more we can see when we surround by good people we also will gonna be better as a person.
The minus point:
- Recently some of the drama I've been watch like having fast forward button in the end. This drama is no exception. Like the ending after Han Zheng Liang crime out in public what happen with him & his family, isn't usually for his kind of crime all the family will gonna be execute, but here we still can see Han Shu Min as a free woman in the end, so is it only Han Zheng Liang get to be punished....?
- The way WX falling in love with CJ is just simply weird.
- The moment when CJ realize WX is woman is like missing something. It's simply just too plain maybe.
- Not only with CJ, actually when everyone see WX dress as a women is simply their expression just too plain. Like they are not surprise at all.
- The chemistry between Ju Jing Yi & Song Wei Long itself I can't feel it. Maybe I can only say they form friendship bond, but as a couple...? No, not really...
- All the issue of the past generation, about WX dad, is simply just weird and forced to be an issue.
Overall... upon all the + & - point this still a good drama to help you fill the free time.
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Cute YA teen drama
This drama is nothing extraordinary, it's just cute and intended for teenagers.While some of the actors did a good job, I had a problem with the main character, Feng Cheng. Although he acted fine, I couldn't connect with him and there was no chemistry with the heroine. There were a few good performances from the secondary characters, and the main female lead was okay and fit the role. However, the ending was completely wrong. It should have been the Quatuor staying together to solve mysteries, and her identity should have been changed to a girl. Instead, we had two guys running away and a marriage, and somehow her brother took her place as official, which is essentially cheating.
The show lacked any real romantic moments, with only a kiss on the cheek and no love declaration or proposal. The last image was of them on the bed with wedding clothes, and her jumping on him, which was just ridiculous.
The first 22 episodes were slow, redundant, and boring, with the bully guy just bullying and the main character mastering archery within days. The prostitute's wig was ridiculous, and she was a completely not believable character. The special effects sounds were annoying, and the music was just average. While there were some funny scenes, they were not enough to save the show.
In conclusion, if you want a cute teenage costume story, then this show is for you. However, I cannot call it a romance, and I have no desire to re-watch it.
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It's a feast for the eyes, that's it.
Okay, the title already sums up what I hate in this drama. The central plot revolves a woman who needs to disguise as a boy BUT SHE DOESN'T EVEN TRY THAT HARD?!! Yeah, I know it's fictional but she looks too beautiful to be a man and even her makeup can still be seen. The acting also makes me cringe? Idk at first I was okay with it but it just feels like I don't feel any emotions to both of the leads. Don't get me wrong I know the ML did great in Go Ahead but I think his acting here feels less than that drama. Also, I love Ju Jingyi but her acting here feels off. (Maybe it was just the fact that she doesn't look like a man for me). Anyways, their chemistry is great so I gave them points for that.I watched this drama because of the leads, all of them including the other MLs as I am also a fan of them.. Well, the investigation, the story is good but yeah, it just doesn't really made me feel something special about it.
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