It's not where we're going...it's how we get there.
When a viewer is watching a 'youth' drama from China, they almost always know the outcome...the two main characters will be together at the end after some trials and tribulations. In that regard, Dazzling doesn't really hold many surprises.
However, I thought the story took an interesting approach when our hero, Xing Wu, was portrayed as someone who was so busy making money as he tried to keep his family going financially that he wasn't sure he wanted to finish high school. He had offers to make good money without a diploma. Was more education really necessary? I think a lot of people in his situation would ask that question, and for a lot of them, the answer would be to take the short term financial gain.
Enter our heroine, Qing Ye who was basically dumped on her aunt's doorstep in a tiny seaside town because her father was in legal trouble. After living a much more luxurious life in Beijing, she has many 'fish out of water' experiences before adapting to her new home.
The hero is the son of the aunt, so he can't avoid the girl, who comes across as spoiled, childish, and petty. Of course, they argue a lot and have several adventures until they come to some sort of understanding. As they get to know each other, they each nurture an unspoken attraction that blossoms into romantic love.
Eventually, she inspires the hero to return to high school, and she tutors him and a lot of his friends as they prepare for the end of high school exam.
This drama struck me as a bit different in some ways:
The whole 'do we need an education' aspect brought up a lot of discussion among the characters.
The heroine is no damsel in distress. She is able to think for herself and solve most of her own problems.
Life in the small town wasn't completely sanitized. The aunt's house had no indoor plumbing.
Almost all the characters experience personal growth in some fashion.
One of the 'bad' guys gets a redemption arc and becomes a successful adult.
The small town becomes like another character in the show.
The acting was very good from the main cast. I've seen some comments that the leads didn't have much chemistry, but I disagree. I could feel how much the main characters meant to each other, even if there wasn't any physical affection through the first 27 episodes. Both actors are able to use small nuances of expression to show what the characters are feeling . I think this is especially true for the male lead. His character was in an odd position. He cared tremendously for the heroine, but there were many obstacles in his way, and he had to control his feelings. The actor did very well in that regard.
The drama isn't perfect, of course. It's a slow paced drama, probably because life in a small town has a slower pace. There were a lot of flashbacks in the last few episodes, which can get annoying. I would've rather learned more about what our hero was doing during the time they were apart.
I grew up in a small town, so the slow pace of the story doesn't bother me. I found it to be very enjoyable, so I might watch it again.
However, I thought the story took an interesting approach when our hero, Xing Wu, was portrayed as someone who was so busy making money as he tried to keep his family going financially that he wasn't sure he wanted to finish high school. He had offers to make good money without a diploma. Was more education really necessary? I think a lot of people in his situation would ask that question, and for a lot of them, the answer would be to take the short term financial gain.
Enter our heroine, Qing Ye who was basically dumped on her aunt's doorstep in a tiny seaside town because her father was in legal trouble. After living a much more luxurious life in Beijing, she has many 'fish out of water' experiences before adapting to her new home.
The hero is the son of the aunt, so he can't avoid the girl, who comes across as spoiled, childish, and petty. Of course, they argue a lot and have several adventures until they come to some sort of understanding. As they get to know each other, they each nurture an unspoken attraction that blossoms into romantic love.
Eventually, she inspires the hero to return to high school, and she tutors him and a lot of his friends as they prepare for the end of high school exam.
This drama struck me as a bit different in some ways:
The whole 'do we need an education' aspect brought up a lot of discussion among the characters.
The heroine is no damsel in distress. She is able to think for herself and solve most of her own problems.
Life in the small town wasn't completely sanitized. The aunt's house had no indoor plumbing.
Almost all the characters experience personal growth in some fashion.
One of the 'bad' guys gets a redemption arc and becomes a successful adult.
The small town becomes like another character in the show.
The acting was very good from the main cast. I've seen some comments that the leads didn't have much chemistry, but I disagree. I could feel how much the main characters meant to each other, even if there wasn't any physical affection through the first 27 episodes. Both actors are able to use small nuances of expression to show what the characters are feeling . I think this is especially true for the male lead. His character was in an odd position. He cared tremendously for the heroine, but there were many obstacles in his way, and he had to control his feelings. The actor did very well in that regard.
The drama isn't perfect, of course. It's a slow paced drama, probably because life in a small town has a slower pace. There were a lot of flashbacks in the last few episodes, which can get annoying. I would've rather learned more about what our hero was doing during the time they were apart.
I grew up in a small town, so the slow pace of the story doesn't bother me. I found it to be very enjoyable, so I might watch it again.
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