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A Look Into the Lifestyles of 20 Year Olds in China
I know there's a lot of differing opinions on this drama - some think it is really realistic, others think it is a Mary Sue drama wearing the mask of "realistic". Personally, I think it is the former option. All the characters are very realistic, with their faults and positive aspects. None of them are perfect, nor are they just a prop full of faults for people to hate. I personally think that was the best part of the show. It was also really hopeful, and all of the characters were so optimistic and full of hope for the future, which was also really nice to see in a drama.SOME SPOILERS HERE:
Plot: The plot was okay. It wasn't amazing, but it did make sense overall. The way they wrote most of the relationships was really nice (including friendships, parental relationships and romances), and they were extremely believable. I actually think that the fact that none of the couples got together at the end makes sense, especially given their personalities. For example, Luo Yan and Lu Ran should have been an amazing couple because they have similar interests, but because both are entering their first relationship (I assume) and some coincidental problems, there ends up being a huge problem between them: lack of trust. People think Da Bao and Da Xiong ought to have been together because they just fit together so well, but the sad reality is sometimes you just don't like the person that is the best fit for you. Since I'm still young and haven't entered work yet, I don't know how realistic Xiaoguo's storyline was, but it was entertaining nonetheless! My biggest complaint is I think Zhao Youxiu should have entered the picture earlier so he and Liang Shuang could have gotten together earlier. Also, the ending was just a little anticlimactic. I wished just a little more was given.
I also really appreciate that they tried to represent all different types of careers, people, and relationships. For example, Xiaoguo and her mom are really close, but still get in fights over small things, Luo Yan and her mom have communication problems and also often fight because they have different beliefs on things, Liang Shuang and her mom aren't close at all, and because of this Liang Shuang feels as if her mom is a stranger, Duan Jiabao is just loved by her parents and they give her all the money she needs.
Acting: Nothing much to say here. Everyone did great! I also feel like the chemistry between most couples were really good (except for Lu Ran and Luo Yan, that one was a little forced. Honestly I feel Luo Yan and Zhao Cheng had better chemistry).
Music: That one song that played during sad moments was really nice, but the other ones were forgettable.
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I am fully satisfied with this drama without any complain at all, even though I feel a lil regret at some point, but it's very acceptable because it's twenty life story. This is really a nice drama and very relatable in every ways for anyone who's on their twenties. This is a story about a four girls who stayed together in a dormitory and tells about their friendship, family, their internship, and love problems too. The storyline and plot is plain, no extraordinary story because everything is very realistic. Jiang Xiao Guo has a very strong characters, she know what she wants and she really works hard for it. I love the interactions and relationship with Duan Zhen Yu because he always be there when she needs, but it's a pity that JXQ doesn't love him, but I strongly agree that Duan Zhen Yu have to go to German because he's still very young and there's a lot of things to pursue rather that love anyway. I also agree that Jiang Xiao Guo should reject Zhou Xun because he doesn't deserve her and usually hurt her.
Duan Jia Bao is a nice and easygoing characters, she always get pampered by her family but still very kind and caring friends. She also really a nice sister for Duan Zhen Yu. I was going to say the she seems compatible with Da Xiong, because he was always been so good to her, but love can't be forced at all. And actually we know at first that she is not really into Da Xiong.
Luo Yan has a family problem because of her mom. And for her relationship with Lu Ran, I think it is better to end it because they are too young, even though they have a very similar interest but they really have a big communication problems because they are too similar even their characters.
Liang Shuang is very pretty, in the beginning you will hate her characters but slowly you will know that deep inside she actually was very kind but too arrogant. And she really works hard to got her job done. Her relationship with Zhao You Xiu also nice.
Overall, I believe that this is the best ending for all of them. Since they are still on their twenties, which is very young, there are a lot of things to pursue, so love is not the most important thing at all, except for Liang Shuang because she was more experience in love, so I guess she deserved to got a nice boy like Zhao You Xiu. Hopefully, they will make the season two because I really want to see their story after 1-2 years...
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A drama that will leave you wanting more!
I initially started this drama, because I heard about the sister-drama "Nothing but Thirty" and thought I need to start off in my 20's. I found this drama super relatable as it demonstrates how you learn and grow through the people you meet and obstacles you encounter in your 20s. You really get connected to each storyline and each of the character development, it's written beautifully and I gotta admit, I teared up on the last episode!I'm really looking forward to seeing more of these girls with Season 2 coming out and is set a few years on from Season 1. Hopefully the male characters return too! It's been a long time since I watched a Chinese drama with 40 episodes and I had my doubt..but this drama has definitely set the bar high!
I'm definitely adding this drama to my favourites <3
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What a refreshment!
For me, I don't usually watch this kind of genre. But I was hooked when I finished watching the first episode. I think because of how relatable what the story presents actually is. Each character also has their shortcomings and their merits, And throughout the binge-watch, I perceive them as real people. The music though is not that memorable, which is the only lack of this series. I am those people who have OST songs in their playlist. Whenever I encounter a similar mood or atmosphere that reminds me of a certain series or a film, I'd play their soundtrack :)Overall, the drama gave me joyous moments even though the last few episodes got draggy and little bit dramatic. However, they are not over the top that makes me want to stop watching. This series also offers me a new lens that maybe sometimes people react because they don't know the whole truth nor understand others' perspectives.
And yes. I'd recommend whoever read this, to watch this drama.
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A heartwarming exploration of female friendships
I loved this drama - it reminded me of Hello My Twenties, which I also loved. The growth of the bond between the four main characters is beautiful to watch, and also relatable. It's refreshing to see a drama that isn't centered around a love interest, but takes the female leads seriously as human beings with life goals, wins and losses, problems large and small.The drama is a celebration of women from all backgrounds, and in the end the message is that we're stronger together. The way the girls handle their romantic relationships and budding careers is inspiring and empowering; in so many dramas the female lead clings to the man as if he is her whole life. Twenty Your Life On is the antidote to that misogynistic trope.
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Where to begin?
Episodes 1-7 are good, then between episodes 8-15 it's really bad, and then 16-31 it's great but then episode 32+ it is so so.I can understand the reason for the low ratings on MDL. This drama promotes fat-shaming, and toxic beauty standards (skin bleaching). Interesting enough, I liked this drama because the three main leads don't quite fit China's beauty standards and I felt that it was good of the producer to cast women who represent the everyday Chinese woman but then they fat shamed one of three leads throughout the whole drama. So, it took away from the positive message that the producer was trying to achieve. Additionally, between episodes 8-15 they bullied their friend because she lied to them. She was wrong for lying but promoting mean-girl/bullying culture on tv is bad. I wished the producers and writers would have found a better way to handle the lie situation.
Also, the finance intern crossed boundaries with her boss, the CEO, and it was unrealistic. This is what made me like episodes 33+ less. The CEO finally confesses that he "likes," the intern, after he ask her to be a scapegoat for the organization. What kind of toxic ish is this? What's worse is that she actually does it.
Man-child lol is the only one whose character truly developed for the better. I'm glad that she didn't show up towards the end of episode 38. Move on sir,and find someone who wants you too.
Whoever styled the tomboy gamer girl character, did an excellent job. In this drama her outfits were on point but most of the drama I couldn't stand her character. She's a passive aggressive communicator and it made everything more difficult than it had to be.
Sigh, this had so much potential to be an excellent drama but it felt short at crucial moments. Nevertheless, overall it was decently good.
Btw, I think this drama only needed 36 episodes. I skipped most of episodes 38, 39, and 40.
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I enjoyed this drama thoroughly. It's a slice of life story about four college dorm roommates and their coming of age story as they go through the last year of college. Although the story seemed simple and nothing special, what makes this drama enjoyable is the characters and seeing their journey as they become an adult and face life's challenges. I like how strong their friendship is and how they depend on each other. The drama shows the characters' up and down as they navigate through life. It's not always sunny. They fight, they bicker and they get jealous of each other. But when trouble comes, they provide each other's helping hands. Here are my review of the main (and notable supporting) characters.Duan Jia Bao:
She is a spoiled rich kid. Her parents are super rich, so she gets through college life pretty easy and seemed to have no qualms in spending money. In the beginning we see her being taken advantage of someone she met who faked being a fanboy of the same artists. Turns out she only befriended her because of her money. Her character at first seemed like an annoying brat who takes everything for granted. But she became my favorite character as she showed her virtues. Like Da Xiong said, even though she is rich, she is happy at any gift that he gave her and never look down. She is very loyal and always willing to help her friends when they are in need. She is not the brightest student, and can be lazy in studying at times, but she is very passionate at what she does and willing to go through mountains to accomplish the job. We get to see her being humble and really does her job as an agent. She is also a very loving person, she has a tremendously big heart. How she sacrificed her feeling for YouXiu for Liang Shuang requires a big heart. I love her relationship with her brother and how close of a sibling they are. She is by far my favorite character of the occupants of 419.
Liang Shuang:
She is my second favorite character. She maybe fierce on the outside, but nice on the inside. When she was first introduced, she seemed like a scary characters and all the other 419 occupants are so afraid of her that they even mock her as the WiFi password. She, like Duan Jia Bao showed her virtues. She is very filial to her grandmother. She is very passionate in chasing her dreams to become a fashion blogger. And although it hurt her, she stood up for her mistakes and willing to accept the consequences. As the drama progresses we will see that she is a good friend which the other occupants started to realize and that's how she got into the close circle of room 419.
Jiang Xiao Guo:
She is the glue of the friendship. She is a goody two shoes, a straight A student, very frugal, lives within her means and works hard to achieve her dreams in the financial world. She is loyal to her friends and very caring. I love to see her relationship with her mom. She has a big heart too and showed that when she met her step brother for the first time. She is a hardworker and displayed that at her job despite being just an intern. She is a friend that you would like to have in your life. She is always there for you.
Luo Yan/Shi Tou:
She is my least favorite character. I don't like her. She is weird, she can be a close book even to her closest friend. She is very rude to her mom. She can be thick headed at times.
The male characters are just your ordinary guy. The focus is not on them but the four female leads. However, I have to give a special mention to Duan Zhen Yu. He, like her sister Duan Jia Bao, looks like a spoiled brat (he is even more than his sister), but he showed character development and became a better person. Plus, Wang An Yu is so cute :) The second one is Zhou Xun. He looks fierce, not nice and unapproachable, but he is actually soft on the inside.
Overall, I would recommend this drama if you like coming of age stories. There is romance but it's more like "real life" romance than drama romance, it has its ups and downs. The friendship is great, that you wish you have dorm mates like them. I'm continuing to season 2 immediately as Netflix has both seasons.
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Ahhhh Youth...
Jiang Xiao Guo - Her character is really annoying. I really don't get her logic when it comes to relationship. The ever so sweetest Zhen Yu kept showing his sincerity since the start but she said she cannot accept his feelings because she sees him as a kid when in fact their age gap is only 3-4 years. BUT she still had the audacity to pursue her boss who is probably 10+ years older than her. I also don't get how an intern like her gets to work with all the executives and all the confidential assignments. I mean she did not even had the best professionalism. She keeps on barging into the office of her bosses and unnecessarily question them? Like hello, you can't do that to the owners. Let alone as an intern.Luo Yan - all throughout the drama she was really the most immature one out of all of them. A lot of her problems could've been solved thru proper communications but no. She doesn't want to share anything nor she wants to listen to others. Together with Lu Ran, they were just the most annoying among all of them. They were so immature, like oh my god just talk to each other about your problems!!! that's the sense of being in a relationship, to have someone by your side.
Zhou Xun - Honestly, there was seriously no chemistry for me between him and the FL. It felt like he just had to like her at
some point to create a love triangle and make the FL realize what she has to. As a boss, yeah stop giving everything to the interns. It made me think think that his company does not hire any regular employees as everything was done by the executives or interns. No in between.
Liang Shuang and Duan Jia Bao/ "Da Bao" - I like their characters a lot. Their sub-group within their friendship was cute especially with Zhao Xiao Juan and his brother.
Xiong Zhi / "Da Xiong" - He was a nice guy that didn't deserve the breakup. It was very unfortunate but I liked how they reconciled and ended things between them.
Duan Zhen Yu - I have a feeling of how S2 will go for you but listen to me my sweet boy, Xiao Guo does not deserve you and your sincerity!!!!!! You are just too pure <3
I honestly watched this as I was looking for something to watch that won't make me use my brain to much. I honestly do not regret watching it was cute but I really did find it too long and I can't understand why they had to split the story line to 2 seasons. I honestly think they could've made do with just 1 season. But whatevs, what's done is done. And now, I have to check out S2 since I have nothing better to do.
Unto the next one!!!!
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The drama given me surprise from the very first episode. The cast is amazing whether it's main cast or supporting cast. The story itself is not much very much unique but some unpredictable situations in the drama make it differ and lovable. I love the character of Bu Guan as Jiang Xiao Guo the most. Her character is the most dominant strong character. As her belongingness to the broken lower-middle-class family and struggling in the cooperative world and dealing not with her own emotions but helping the other friends who equally are important to her. And the other three girls deals with relationship to choosing their career path and accepting the bitter reality is what this drama is all about .Also they deal with their changing emotions too. This drama is for those people who want to learn the practical suffering of life. If you are going good it doesn't mean you can't collapse in the middle of the road. You might collapse but the important part is you have to know that you can stand on your own after standing up with the stronger will and can live life to its fullest. The ending is not that typical happy ending but it's the practical real life-ending. The music in this drama is great. The costume designing of some characters are too good. The cooperative staff actors and the lead girl Jian Guo her she looks great I love her attire. The best part of this drama is it explores the Silicon Valley of China which is Shenzhen other the Shanghai and Beijing there are other great cities where people want to live, in real China . East Asian dramas are good when it comes to dramatizing the specific profession. I can't give credit to one country for this. The review might get longer If I will write many things. So, re-watching it out definitely not the bad option at all.Was this review helpful to you?
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Warm, Light, Fresh, Educating
I don't expect that I'll enjoy the drama as much as I enjoyed after finishing it. It tells us how young people should not easily give up in facing difficulties, tells us about how a true friendship worth a lot.I love the character played here, especially Xiao Guo, a tiny cute lively naive hardworking young woman. How she faced everything with a certain belief. I love the character of Duan Jiao Bao, chubby cute spoiled rich girl, a bit slow and timid but that adds to her cuteness. I like how all the problems are "finished" in a proper way, not too much, not too less .. I love the other 2 characters too, tomboy Shitou and sulky Liang Shung. I heard season 2 is coming, I'll definitely will watch it once it can be watched online for free, hahaa ..
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This show is soooo good!
(This show is a sister drama of Nothing But Thirty, another good show that is airing at the same time)I am at the latest episode (10) so far and addicted to it!
I love how realistic and funny at the same time this show is!
No more luxury dormitory!! This is exactly how a dormitory in a university there would look like!!!! Trust me I was a student there! Even the textbooks are the same of those I used in college
The story is very funny but so realistic that it hurts at the same time. The senior year life: job interviews, master exam preparation, internships, etc are so relatable!
The four leading actresses present such natural performances that they really look like senior students living in the dormitory, and the chemistry among them is amazing!
One thing I don't like is the OP of this drama.
Please check it out!
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