Eh.
The number of tropes in this drama is sky high, but luckily it's a relatively short drama so it's still palatable...Yes, we got the some lead loses their memory (that's actually the setup of this whole drama so this isn't a spoiler)
and then we got some parents that don't want the leads to be together
and some jealous second leads / random girls
leads thinking the other lead is together with a second lead
etc
you know, we got ALL of these -sigh- (just missing the Korean drama kimchi slap and the water splash scenes lol
But I still gave it a >7 because Li GeYang is real cute and I'm glad that our second lead Cai Yasi (from The Love Equations) finally got rom com first lead and doesn't have to watch his best friend fall in love with someone else!!!
And the leads' interactions are pretty cute. When they aren't fighting.
I don't know. This is a good time filler and cure for the Cai Yasi second male lead syndrome. But other than that, there are much cuter / more original rom coms than this.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Cute/cheesy
This was a cute show. I some times like a good cheesy show to watch and I actually liked this one.Story- Some inconsistencies but it did flow smoothly for the most part. I was a bit disappointed that they did not show them working it out with Grandma. They left it off and let you assume it was all resolved. They never finished off his memory loss. I get he said it was not important but if that is the case why show him in the water with memories trying to come back and then his friends and GF try to have him in the water again and not a thing happens??? Made no sense. But that was really the end of the whole memory thing. Why even have it if you are not going to finish it?!?! Really I could pick a lot more apart. However I am not in the mood to do it because it really was a cute show aside from the inconsistencies in the storyline. I was pleased that the episodes were only about 35 minutes long. I watched about 90% of the show only skipping a few parts here and there.
Acting/Cast- I liked the cast. I felt they fit the roles they played. I know there was a few flaws here and there but it was not all that bad. I will be looking more for the ML/FL and future shows they star in. I liked them both.
Music- I liked the music I hope I can find it and add to my Amazon Asian playlist.
Rewatch? Ya I would. Each episode was short and it was a cheesy but cute show I will watch again when I need one. Lol
If you want cheesy but cute this is the show to watch.
Amazon Prime has it as of February 2021. Not sure for how long but that is were I watched it. Hope to see it on Viki?♀️ We will see.
Was this review helpful to you?
A refreshing, dynamic and modern romantic comedy with cute, bickering characters.
"Always Have, Always Will" is one of my favorite Chinese dramas and unexpectedly one of my actual favorites. I'm not very much of a romantic comedy lover and each of my attempts in the school genre for cdramas have been failures despite the success. However, I found this one very gripping and different.Full of life, full of color, intriguing, with a fair amount of drama and depth that surprised me, and I got very attached to the characters. It's cute, it's fun, yes, but it's also a beautiful love story. I loved the way the story unfolds bit by bit until the very end, and how the title really comes into its own.
In conclusion, it's an underrated drama that's worth giving a try. The story is full of clichés and conflicts, but it's not done in a way that's annoying at all I think, so rather than saying the drama is cliché I'd say it's unique in its genre. I also liked the fact that the resolution of the memory loss wasn't as clichéd as usual and more realistic. It wasn't just used as a plot twist either, but as a base for the plot.
(https://mydramalist.com/49135-always-have-always-will#comment-14205439) from my friend Kelekat in the comments -> ( "'Dynamic' is by far the most accurate word to describe this drama! The writing, cinematography, styling, all of it. Very well said. The application, usage and execution of the flashbacks are so well done. They aren't just thrown in there. They help us understand our characters actions and behaviors along the way. So much of what's happening in the present would seem petty and trivial without them. Yes, there are cliches left and right in this but how they are applied is extremely original and I'm saying this after watching several hundred dramas since coming back to this one now. I'm enjoying it so much."
After all, this is just my opinion and I admit that I prefer when there's a lot of complications rather than a calm story but I sincerely think it's a refreshing drama overall, thanks to its colorful characters and direction in particular.
Seeing the feedbacks, it didn't appeal to everyone, but I'd still recommend it openly. You might not enjoy it as much, but this drama was a bliss for me.
P.S: please don't skip the opening and the ending~ they're not gonna ruin your watch, just watch them because they're a delight. I don't think I ever skipped them once.
Was this review helpful to you?
Short and Sweet and Totally Underrated
A perfect sweet romance to make you forget your woes and just smile for a couple of hours.This may be the fastest drama I've binged, noting how I sat through it in 2 days without feeling overtaken by the drama.
The leads were so cute and I appreciated the maturity...After checking out the MDL rating I was fully prepared to experience annoying characters and plot holes but....wow. What a pleasant surprise! (NB to self...do not judge a drama by its ratings). Here's the thing about this drama, it is your typical high school/college rom-com with some familiar tropes - enemies-to-lovers, second-chance, ML-has-amnesia love-triangles first-love etc (and I will be quick to say that I sometimes crave just that...) yet, it was light and so well done, I just breezed through it in true delight. Did I say the lead couple was so cute? Plus, the slow-burn was just right - not dragged-out and exactly as long as it should have been.
OST - Beautiful
Also appreciated the second lead couple. Feifei played by Wen Mo Yan was just chef's-kiss BFF goals.
My only issue was with translation (as is with all c-dramas on Youtube)...where do I write a complaint to C-Drama translation teams and express how extremely annoying it is to read poorly-phrased error-ridden English because aaargh! I could correct the grammatical errors for free if someone gave me the job.
Was this review helpful to you?
A drama that had the potential to be a cute romance but turns out to be a disappointment.
The plot of this drama, although not very original, could have been interesting (especially since the male lead is adorable when he opens up a bit).Unfortunately, the writers wanted to put in their story all the clichés possible (amnesia, mean girl who bullies the female lead because she wants the male lead, families who disapprove the relationship of main leads, ML rival who tries to seduce FL for make him jealous and so on) without going through with each storyline. The story ends up confusing us because the characters appear and disappear to serve the clichés, there are 180 ° turns of "means characters" who come back to show they have moved on without explanation for their turnaround and without never have to evolve or pay for their actions.
The writing of the characters also suffers from a lack of rigor and clichés. The FL lacks personality as soon as she is not facing the ML (in front of whom she has too much personality and can appear stubborn and rude). The ML has trouble expressing how he feels and sometimes makes it worse, especially when faced with a LF who has no human psychology and sees the worst in him.
I ended up using fast forward for half the drama. It's a pity.
Was this review helpful to you?
When you have no idea what the plot is...
Does this drama deserve such a low rating? Technically not, but in a critical sense, yes. I've seen a lot of Youku's light hearted dramas and how this one managed to make me regret the time I invested in it is kinda surprising.THE PLOT:
What makes me upset is that the drama had a strong start with just the right amount of cheesy and fluffy vibes. Its premise itself sounded promising. Luo Yan, a supposedly cold-hearted bully from Fang Li's high school memories reappears once again, only for her to find out that he had completely forgotten about his past at the school. Through various coincidences, she slowly realizes that he may not be the bully she had assumed him to be.
THE DOWNSIDE: I enjoyed the first twelve episodes immensely. The flashbacks to the past and the cliche stuff that happened in the present didn't seem draggy or over used, thanks to the excellent portrayal of the characters by the leads. Then came the downside. If there is one thing that I absolutely dislike, its a plot device. Characters were introduced just for the sake of making the plot move forward, only to disappear for a couple of episodes and then re-appear whenever the script requires it. Half of the cast we see in the MDL poster don't even play an important role. (Except Luo Yan and Fei Fei.) The story veers off tracks multiple times and there were episodes that I felt got filmed only cause they had too much budget left/or had no idea what to do with the script.
Another thing that I noticed was that they had cut several scenes. The last episode was the only one that gave off the initial feelings of the first 12 episodes that I wished the people behind this drama had tried to maintain. The last few episodes were painful to watch. The mood switches felt off and rushed. (Particularly the scenes with Fang Li's Grandma.) But, the finale was done so beautifully, and the last episode managed to somehow bring back the initial fluffiness.
Luo Yan's past was sort of scraped up after EP12 and the story took a lot of time in developing useless subplots and wasted a whole episode on side characters that do nothing to the plot whatsoever. Hsd they stuck to a single plot thread, this drama would've been much better. Or it would've been nice if it had just 18 or 20 episodes with more substance.
CAST AND MUSIC: I loved the soundtrack. It looked as if the music director was aiming to purposefully make fun of the plot/over used tropes and it worked well. (In a good way.) The cast was not too bad either. They did well with what they were given.
OVERALL: It was particularly disappointing after a strong start with some quality fluff. It has its own sweet moments. The story had a lot of potential to be genuinely good in its own right, but unfortunately, it fell far off the mark.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I found 'Always Have Always Will' to be very entertaining despite the presence of some well-worn tropes.There's the roommates of the female lead who blame her for being more appealing to a boy they all like and who do everything they can to torment her.
And there's the snarky girl who pursues the male lead relentlessly despite being rebuffed over and over. In real life a person like that would be considered mentally ill. Alas, I don't think this trope is going anywhere soon.
One trope that this drama nicely subverts is the presence of a second male lead who is left heartbroken after losing out to the ML. In 'AHAW', this character has a level-headed approach to the FL that only makes it appear that he's courting her. (Later we learn that he has a girlfriend and isn't interested in the FL that way.)
But, to get to what impressed me the most: Le Gi Yang's performance as Luo Yan is nothing less than extraordinary. Watching this series I could scarcely believe that this is the same actor who played supporting roles in 'The Love Equations' and 'My Youth'. In the latter especially, by the end of the series his character has aged into his late 20's and looks like he's been through every year of it, yet in 'AHAW' (filmed two years later) he is convincing as both the high school and college versions of his character.
Dawn Chen as Fang Li continues the tradition of FLs in Cdramas who suffer from severe self-doubt and occasional stupidity. Fortunately, the character is intelligent enough to major in chemistry and seems very smart academically. (She's really cute, too.)
The side couple consisting of Fei Fei, the FL's best friend, and Shi Xu, a friend of the ML's, adds some comic relief. Their story leverages another familiar trope: the suitor who pretends to like the girl then finds himself developing real feelings for her.
At the heart of the series is a mystery involving the ML's loss of his memory during high school. How did it happen, and why? When we finally got the answers to these questions I have to admit that I was disappointed. I'd been hoping for something more impactful. The way the FL learns the truth is pretty ho-hum too -- her senior friend from high school just sits her down and tells her. He gives her a reason why he didn't do it sooner, but the way the premise of the series just seems to deflate feels like a let-down when compared to everything else it's had to offer.
We also never see the ML actually regain his memory. I was expecting that to eventually happen, but I can also see where it wasn't really necessary to move the main story forward.
In all, I enjoyed this series a lot and rank it in the upper tier of Cdramas set at a high school or college. Considering how many of those there are I guess that means I liked it a whole lot.
Was this review helpful to you?
A relatively short but interesting love story
I must say that this drama was very... Interesting to watch. Personally... Felt like a lot of storylines mushed together but in a pretty good way. I felt like the story line changes a lot and it was a little messy. But the overall plot is really good. Loved the acting. Very nice work done there. The music felt a little off for the story tho... Honestly the music gave a lot of 'Goblin' vibes. But I enjoyed this drama. It's a good plot with lots of good characters and stories. Truly interesting to watch too. Overall, Great drama that might seem a little messy but has very good plot. ???????Was this review helpful to you?
Very sweet C-drama
Don't be fooled by the first chapters, I thought this was the typical story of the boy who bullies the girl and then falls in love with her, but NO. The first three chapters were hard for me to watch but I tried to keep watching because ML actor is one of my two favorite Chinese actors. The funny thing is how this drama ended up being one of the favorites.STORY: I think the story has interesting details. As the story progresses, you can see how ML improves as a person and tries to overcome those emotional blocks and his problems to communicate things correctly, he is interested in it, unlike other dramas. There are several sweet scenes between the leads, I love it.
ACTING/ CAST: Absolute love it, Li Ge Yang is one of my favorite Chinese actors and the FL was very cute and good too!
MUSIC: LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT, AND THE INTRO IS SOOOOO CUUUTEEE
REWATCH VALUE: I want to re-watch it!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Disappointing drama with could of have more potential
Don't get fooled by this drama! This drama's genre is the school type but it isnt the super sweet drama. Despite having 24 episodes, I can't even get pass ep 19! I have no more interest to watch.This drama storyline sounded really good but when I actually watched it, such a let down. First of all inconsistent storylines, female and male lead arent expressive/hate each other, annoying bitch side character, and there isnt a point of focus/interest.
This drams starts off really well, the female lead is in a party in which they are playing truth or dare. It's the male lead's turn and he somehow has to kiss an opposite gender for three second. Of course that girl is the female lead. The female lead and male lead are actually classmates from high school. The funny thing is that he doesnt remember her at all, and so when they were kissing she accidentally gets hot oil on his shirt. She is a broke college students and tries to think of a way to dry clean his shirt for free. She tries to go to her science lab and tries to create chemicals to dry clean but then an explosion happens. At that time the male lead is around the area and rescues hers. The professor undeniably thinks she is the culprit, that the female and male lead were actually trying to have a date when they caused the explosion....
She basically gets entangled with the male lead and they are off to a really foot! I would say that they hate each other literally! She really doesnt want to get expelled from the school and decides to drag down the male lead with her, since the male lead acts so cold !
The male lead somehow loses memory of her, when they were in high school! it was due to some accident. Obviously this part of the drama wasnt the focus... It was just kinda loosely placed in random epsiodes, never really developing what happened. I mean supposedly the lost memory was that he liked her.
It tells the story of the female lead's recount between the two. In her eyes he is just evil, mean, bully and manipulative.
The male lead is like a bitter melon. ( a simile his professor calls him) He has good intentions but doesnt tell her. Lol a bittermelon looks ugly/ and rough on the outside but its good for your body.. The male lead was held too much emotion in, it might of been due to his childhood experience growing up. He bottled everything inside and when he does good for the female lead, she always receives the message wrongly.
Also unnecessary kinda of love triangle/crush on her classmate... He gave her mixed signals and then tells her , he is leaving to go study abroad... She gets over him very fast...... arghhh after that another guy comes in.... this guy doesnt have good intentions and just wants to make the male lead jealous!!!
Finally when they are together, i didnt really believe it lol !!! To me they dont have chemistry., or the passion. The second leads were a better couple!
pretty disappointed by this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Fluffy but inconsistent
To be honest this started off so frustrating with a string of bad things happening to the FL. And while I understood that and, what grew to be more annoying was the main FL's consistently bad decision-making and the repetitiveness of misunderstandings. There was pretty weak character development on her part — it seems like she just waited to be saved and still made the same bad decision next time, and it was always the same kind of miscommunication issue.There are also a boatload of tropes in this that just got a little too cliche and cheesy, and this drama also suffered from the unfortunate syndrome of the big conflict coming in late and everything falling apart haphazardly, then rushing to get everything back in one or two episodes. Even with this issue, I liked how they tied in amnesia and the backstory.
The way they handled some situations just made no sense to me, and I also hated the way they diminished the best friend's anger with something like "Girls are just emotional like that."
Overall, this has its cute moments and the theme song is a bop.
Was this review helpful to you?
Cute and sweet college romance
I started to watch it on 1st march evening and then yesterday at 1 a.m. i finished it. so if we going to discuss this drama in a large scale then there should be some points.STORY:
1. GOOD POINTS: if we are talking about the story's good points then there should be some points . first of all......
(a) this drama depicts a very sweet cute college romance......you can enjoy the sweetness with your heart contend.....you will be satisfied with their sweet romance . the both lead are very understandable when they are in a relation...you can enjoy the secureness and passionate love.....nothing is falling behind in aspect of love
(b) now comes to their friendship ......the both leads have their own best friend ...and the most sweet part of it that the ML's best friend fall in love with FL's best friend....and the two best friend play their role very smoothly ...be it to save FL from her granny to find out her bf or any other complications FL is facing her bestie supports her all the time ....and ML's bestie also help him to pursue FL or to give him advice about love...they did their job without any flaw.....in many dramas they saw besties but i didn't find them so helpful...but in this drama you won't have complaint with the bestie's performance
(c) the drama doesn't so much ups and downs in leads relation which is my most fav...just some conflicts but if they didn't show it the drama would be dull
(d) the young generation will relate to the story .....they show some scenes where you can relate it ...like distribution of condoms from college association for male students and second male leads sperm donation to earn money for his gf and when his gf come to know about it she praises him and give him a nutritious treat....i think we should see some scenes like that in college romance drama...
2. SHORTCOMINGS:
(a) the FL was being harrased by her roommates many times...but her roommate didn't get any punishment for that ...and they very bluntly cut off her scenes....like no regret no forgive
(b) in a scene they showed that Qu shieng loved yunming ..but then why did he try to kiss the FL in a previous scene
(c) they didn't arrange the school memories orderly..so i find it a little difficult to relate them....
(d) they also didn't give any conclusion about the memory loss
(e) there are some scenes where they keep you in mystery and you will never know of it ....it's not a movie or a short film that you keep the watchers in mystery ..it's a series...
CAST: i really liked the cast very much ...their performance is outstanding .....you can't complaint about their acting skill i any scenes....i think they are perfect for this roles ....and the second leads are also very good.....i am looking forward to see more dramas of the leads
OST: really good...you should listen
REWATCHED VALUE: i will give 10 out of 10
Was this review helpful to you?
