Not the drama for me

Don't attack me, this review is from a person who avoids youth drama. I'm not bashing anyone for liking this since I can understand why people love this.

I started watching this knowing I tend to dislike youth dramas, the only reason why I watched this was because it is an adaptation from the same author as "hidden love" which I absolutely loved. So it was like a challenge to myself to see if I liked this one since I usually don't vibe with school dramas.

But as expected, this one wasn't for me. I knew this was supposed to be more slice of life with a pure and innocent romance but I guess my cynical personality couldn't tolerate the innocent sweetness.

Let me start with the negatives for me:
- The romance was good but not great
The leads had a healthy relationship which I liked but it was just too pure and bland for me. I tend to like couples with chemistry that sparks on screen so I just didn't vibe with the pure milky relationship they had.
- The male lead was bland till the end (I'm sorry)
I get that the male lead is supposed to be quiet and introverted but give him some sort of personality! And the actor could've done more to give life to the character, the expressions he showed were limited so it was like watching a stereotypical introverted character with no depth.
- Can we tone down the puppy-like charm ?
The female lead is supposed to have golden retriever energy I guess, but can we please make it more realistic. Knowing China's obsession with cute female leads, I didn't expect much but again I just need some depth so that she feels relatable. I liked her in some scenes but in other scenes, it was just cringey for me so I skipped it.

But this had some positives for me as well:
- A true slice of life
Lots of dramas claim to be slice of life only to have angsty drama in the middle. But this one was a true slice of life with a slow and relaxed pacing. No major drama or angst between the characters. It just had a nostalgic feel that felt warm and cozy
- Realistic friendships and dynamics
The potrayal of teenagers in China felt relatable. It wasn't exaggerated and just felt normal.
- Healthy relationship goals
I liked how they showed two opposite people can really understand and complete each other. The main couple had a really healthy relationship dynamic. They had mutual patience and appreciation for each other which was great to see.

Overall, it might've been a great watch for someone else but for me, this was just a disappointment (not the show but the watching experience for me). This is just a typical young school romance made really well. But if you don't like this genre, maybe try something else ?

Read More

An older woman younger man romance with potential

The show started with so much potential but definitely had its hiccups.

I rarely like older woman younger man romance but I actually liked this one to some extent.

The positives:
- The male lead was attractive psychically and mentally
The male lead was younger but he was definitely more attractive than the female lead. It is not only because of his appearance but also because he is smart and his general attitude. He had enough charm to attract a successful older woman like the female lead.
-The chemistry and tension was sizzling
The romance was slow burn but I was thoroughly enjoying the whole process. They were flirting a lot and i was there for every second of it. The tension was there and I could feel their chemistry.
- The plot was enjoyable
The plot had a lot of romance tropes but I didn't care. I kept wanting to watch the next episode and I was not bored at all. Some moments were cheesy but it was bearable.

The negatives:
- The second male lead casting was disappointing
I don't care if he's a good guy but the casting for this role was messed up. He looked like a creepy uncle rather than a second male lead. I was uncomfortably watching him with the female lead. His personality was harmless but anyone can see he's more older and his flashy wadrobe didn't help either.
- what happened with the female lead's personality?
In the beginning, the female lead was more mature, badass and smart. She's also almost 30 years old but kept acting like an innocent teenager in the second half. She's shown to have previous mature relationships so her behavior doesn't make sense. I would've loved if she had been more bold and lead her boyfriend more but she became passive and dumb.
- Again why is the female lead so dumb?
Isn't she supposed to be older and smart? The guy literally let her know that he knows the truth but she was literally blind and couldn't realize it. It was just so frustrating to watch since she was so oblivious.
- The chemistry fell off in the second half
They had so much tension and chemistry at the beginning but after they got together the romantic chemistry disappeared. I don't know why but something was missing and that was disappointing.

Overall, a good romance with lots of tension and chemistry but definitely missed an opportunity to be great. 8/10

Read More

A fluffy sweet sports romance for a chill afternoon

Wang Anyu finally has hair in this one !!!

Honestly one of the reasons I started this drama was because of Wang Anyu. I liked his acting but I just didn't vibe with his peach fuzz and his characters in the other dramas. I saw the poster and decided to give this one a chance and I am so happy I did.

The positives:
- Great sportsmanship
The story had the spirit of sportmanship. The characters seemed fairly realistic in terms of their attitude to the sport. The sport scenes were also great and felt thrilling to watch
- Cute couple dynamic
The male and female lead had a cute dynamic. They were constantly bickering but understood each other on a fundamental level. They were their natural selves and wasn't cheesy at all. Even when they get together the physical intimacy is minimal and it suits their age range.
- Finally a real tomboy female lead
Some people felt the female lead didn't suit the role but I actually liked her. She was a real tomboy and not some stereotypical portrayal of the term. Her costumes were simple, her makeup was minimal and her attitude was actually cool. She wasn't dressed like a boy but the way she carried herself was like how normal sport students are in college. Her acting wasn't bad and I actually found her endearing and cute.
- Wang Anyu stole the spotlight !
I always liked Wang Anyu's acting since he usually does outgoing, funny and refreshing characters (not cold arrogant CEO). He suits the role and I found him manly and cute at the same time. He made my heart flutter multiple times and I couldn't help but cheer for him. Looking forward to more of his works.

The negatives:
- The second lead/villain coach can burn in hell
The second lead character was just annoying to watch. Actually both the siblings were bad. They seem like they're doing it purely out of love but both of them are selfish and manipulative as hell. I didn't want a redemption arc for him, he was just pure evil and a temporary suspension only for him to get reinstated soon again was not enough.
- Over glorification of being an athlete
The only aspect of the sport scenes I disliked were the ones where majorly injured athletes were still participating. It was contradictory to me because the show was first giving importance to safety during the sport but then they later glorify getting hurt and majorly injured.
- The plot pacing is a little weird
The plot pacing was all over the place. The story never got boring but was it slow in some parts and fast in other parts. So it didn't feel consistent and threw me off a little.

Overall:
Definitely recommend it if you want a sweet sports romance with no high drama. 8/10

Read More

A refreshing story with missed potential

This show had the potential to be great but missed its opportunity by a thin margin. 7.5/10

Let's start with the notable positives:
- Fairly realistic characters
I must say that the characters were really fleshed out. I especially liked Seok Ryu's backstory since it is similar to mine. I liked that they highlighted that always being hard working and "perfect" is not a good thing and anyone can fall down and take a break to recover. Moeum and Danho also had charming personalities and just shone on the screen. Even SeungHyo who is seemingly perfect has his immature and stubborn sides which made him seem more human.
- The casting was perfect
The casting couldn't be more perfect. The actors had great chemistry with each other and it seemed real. Especially the actor for Danho, I couldn't take my eyes off of him. What a great discovery !
- Complex family dynamics
They really showcased the different family dynamics well. Not all family seems the same as it does outside and all families have their own problems. I liked that the parents were not always likeable and had their own flaws which is how most parents are. The writer is definitely talented in writing fleshed out and real characters.

Now lets move onto the notable negatives
- The hot and cold pacing
The pacing felt choppy. Some major issues were solved very quickly while some minor issues were dragged out. Some incidents happened so out of the blue that it was obvious to be a plot device. Something in the plot direction just didn't feel consistent.
- The lack of romantic tension
I actually liked the second couple more since they had more romantic tension than the main couple. Even if they were childhood friends, some sort of tension is required for us to relate to what they're feeling. Maybe because the actors are too good, the image of them being childhood friends was etched too strong in my mind. Their interactions in the story after that weren't strong enough to change that image. They absolutely had chemistry but not enough tension to keep me on my toes.
- Repetition of the same plot with obvious tropes
Every few episodes had the same framework. Seok Ryu gets caught for something by her parents, they fight, SeungHyo supports her, they reunite..... the same thing happened like three times in only 16 episodes. Then there was the ex-boyfriend arc which is to be expected at this point. But I couldn't stand the characters always talking to themselves. It was like in every episode and was just awkward to see mid 30s characters talking to themselves. Plus the PPL of the products were too obvious and felt like watching an ad in the middle of the episode.

Overall thoughts:
I Don’t mind slice of life dramas, they're actually healing to watch. I actually understood from the first episode that we're gonna see more about each character's growth and a slow burn romance. But I didn't expect that the pacing to be this choppy and the plot to have cliched tropes. They could've made it more iconic like "When the camillia bloom", "Welcome to Samdalri" or "Hometown Cha cha" but something was missing and left me unsatisfied in some aspects. In the end, I enjoyed myself to some extent and taste is subjective so this might work well for other viewers.

Read More

Started great but ended on a dull note

I loved this and rolled my eyes in disappointment at the same time.

I'll call the female lead as sheng and male lead as Qiang for review purposes.

Let's talk about the positives first:
- Interesting portrayal of voice actors and musicians
This is the first drama I've seen that focused on voice actors and contemporary-traditional musicians and I quite enjoyed it. I liked how serious they were about their work and the soundtrack was also fun to listen to.
- The casting of the male actors were great
Since the male actors were playing as voice actors, i was curious to hear their voices and I must say that I wasn't disappointed. Their voices were great and felt natural.
- Lighthearted and cute plot with no drama
I liked that the plot didn't have major drama. It was perfect as a palate cleanser from watching serious dramas. I was waiting for the conflict but nothing major happened which I was glad to see
- Fun supportive cast
The supporting cast were fun to watch. They didn't have deep character stories but they just added light humor and it was nice to see non toxic characters on screen.
- Costumes were on point
I loved how they incorporated fusion chinese attire for the musician characters. It was refreshing to see and I really wanted to buy them. It gave a unique edge and feel to the whole drama. Kudos to the costume team !

Now let's talk about the negatives:
- Can we please not make the female lead a toddler?
This has been my complaint with age gap romances for a long time: A childish and "very cute" female lead. Why is she talking like a sloth and why are her gestures like a child ? (Example: her cup holding and eating everything using two hands). She's 22 for God's sakes and is an adult. I had to skip forward whenever she talked in the earlier episodes since she took a long time to say one sentence.
- How can a perfect man like Qiang exist ?
I get that they wanted to show Qiang as "perfect" but isn't this too much ? I know how busy doctors are and him being an avid cook and a top voice actor on top of it didn't make sense. He also has a perfect temperament and has a flawless personality. It just didn't feel realistic and made him feel like a robot. I wanted to see some flaws or character growth but it didn't happen.
- The second couple could've been written better
I personally didn't like the casting for Xiaoning. I could understand the casting choice for Junmei since he is supposed to look wild and mature but the second couple didn't match well. They looked more like siblings than a potential couple. I couldn't feel the chemistry and their relationship was even more of a slow burn than the main couple.
- Did they get paid by China tourism to do an ad?
I could understand them going on a trip once but this drama had too much vacation scenes. They went on three group vacations in this drama and honestly I was bored most of the time during their vacation. The shots looked great and story wise I was bored.
-The second half just fell off
I personally wish they could've ended this in 24 episodes. I knew it was a chill and relaxed drama but there was literally nothing happening in the story. I just skipped most of the second half since nothing exciting was happening.

Overall:
A great watch if you want something sweet and fluffy but don't expect it to be great with an exciting plot. 7.5/10.

Read More

Not for me I guess

If you don't like cheesy lines, immature male lead, teacher-student romance with an age gap then you won't like this.

I like sports dramas so I wanted to give this one a chance but sadly this wasn't for me.

There were multiple factors but my main problem was the whole coach-student dynamic. I'm fine with age gaps but I definitely don't like the teacher student trope. I don't care if she's his coach, the power dynamics is definitely messed up. And he's still in his first year meaning he's not even 20 years old and him having a mature relationship with his coach was hard to swallow.

Plus the male lead is immature and stubborn which is normal for his age but it just made their relationship more cheesy since the female lead was more mature.
I had to skip lots of their intimate scenes as I just felt uncomfortable since I couldn't relate to their romantic chemistry.

Overall, I guess this drama is just not my preference but I can see someone else liking this. 6.5/10

Read More

Age gap romance done right finally !!!

I delayed watching this because I usually don't like age gap romances where the heroine is still a minor but I was absolutely proven wrong.

Lets talk about the many positives:
- Age Gap discussion done maturely
The story is aware of its weakness which is Sang zhi liking Jiaxu when she was a minor. But their relationship remains that of a brother and sister even when Sang zhi is an adult. Their dynamic only changes when Jiaxu realizes his feelings after they meet and get to know each other as adults. The characters even have a serious discussion about their age gap and were aware of it. It just made the story more realistic because the age gap was shown as a serious consideration.
- Chen Zheyuan stole my heart !
Even though both the leads acted well, Chen Zheyuan as Jiaxu stole my heart and I haven't recovered yet. His eyes and micro expressions were just swoon worthy and his character (playful and mischievous) was so refreshing to watch unlike the serious and cold CEO characters in other dramas. Jiaxu had his flaws and he owned it. He did an amazing job of portraying a smart, playful and cunning character. Whenever he smiled, you could feel the different emotions he was portraying. He was so natural and his character overall felt realistic. I'm madly in love with his acting right now and I can't stop gushing.
-The heart fluttering chemistry between the leads
The chemistry between Lusi and Zheyuan was palpable. I could feel the tension between through the screen and I was screaming giggling and kicking thd whole time whenever they had their moment on screen. The pining was swoon worthy and the kisses were heart melting. Strangely I didn't find their skinship moments cringey and I usually skip forward when the leads get too intimate, but I didn't do it here. It just felt natural.
- The character dynamics was fun to watch
The supporting characters felt real and their relationship with each other was fun to watch. Not many characters were toxic and didn't make too much drama. I also like Sang Yan and Sang Zhi dynamic, their sibling energy felt real and I liked that Sang Yan was protective over his sister but still wanted his friend to be happy.
- Sang Zhi's character was written so well
I was skeptical how they would show a younger female lead in a age gap romance since they typically go for the naive and innocent damsel in distress route. But i was pleasantly suprised by how mature Sang Zhi's character was. She thinks like an adult and is very clear about her feelings but still has the youthful and fresh vibe of a college freshman. She was very careful about her relationship dynamic with Jiaxu and even acknowledges real life concerns with their relationship. She was just a joy to watch and she was the best female character I've seen in an age gap romance till date.

Now even though this series was near perfect, I still have a few minor negatives:
- The earlier episodes could've been better
The childhood arc could've been thought out more. The cinematography looked weird and Lusi with her very childish voice was off putting since no high school student will willingly talk like a baby. The child actress could've also looked more mature. She acted well but she didn't look like a 14 year old and that just made the age gap thing more weird.
- The supporting characters could've been more fleshed out
The supporting characters were boring especially Sang Zhi's college mates. I just fast forwarded when it was only them on the screen since they were written too stereotypical and didn't feel fully fleshed out.
-Can we stop with the cheesy proposals already ?!
What is with China and its obsession with cheesy proposals. I was hoping that maybe this one will have a normal proposal since the story till then felt mature and realistic but they had to end it on a cringey note.

Overall:
Don't get scared of the plot and give this drama a chance if you want a swoon worthy romance that'll keep you up at night. 9.5/10.

Read More