The first minutes of episode one, I was hooked. It was the beautiful narration and the female lead’s soft voice. It was beautiful yet painful. It was heartwarming. The dialogue and scenes weren't cringey. It was a mature love story with a brainy and witty female lead, yet sometimes clueless when it comes to love. I found it very refreshing. She was outspoken and even sarcastic sometimes. It's a melodrama yet also has a touch of comedy here and there. The pace was perfect for me, with the constant flashbacks revealing bit by bit the bitter truth that lead to the present time. It made the story much more gripping.
The tone and the cinematic were pleasant to the eyes.
The ending left something to be desired. But overall, it was a great experience. The story was beautifully written. I strongly recommend and encourage you all to give it a chance.

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The lead actors's fame saved the drama from ruin

As I don't like watching ongoing dramas, I decided to watch the 2019 version first. I was excited knowing the old one was so good, so I was kind of looking forward to the new one. Yet, here is a couple of reasons why I dropped it :

1) The opening lines failed to capture the essence of what and how unrequited love is
I personally believe that the first episode and even the first minutes are critical because you're either going to pull or push the audiences.
The opening scene, we were greeted by Luo Zhi monologue about the low chance of finding someone who was in sync with her among 6.5 billion people. It was lower than finding two Gingko Biloba leaves with identical notches. And then she went on…
"I know that we might run into each other anytime. However, I'm afraid that even the greatest mathematician won't be able to calculate the exact timing when that will happen."

I think we all agree that those lines are good. But the problem is, they sound more like a description of a destined love story instead of unrequited love. Let's compare it to the 2019 version. The FL made the introduction with the story about her college life. Then she described how it'd be like to secretly love someone ; being observant of what he did, knowing the little things he wasn't aware of, purposely walking slowly behind him. I could feel the sadness and the longing just from hearing the narration.
"Have you ever secretly loved someone? Be it in the past or in the present. You only dare to look at him from behind. During high school, I always followed him from behind. As if a flower would bloom from his back. Each encounter with him didn't happen by accident. I made it happen. "
Spot the difference?

2) They did a poor job with the background music
I can't believe they put cheerful music when Huainan talked to his girlfriend while Luo Zhi was there writing on the blackboard (I think it's on episode 2). It was supposed to be a painful scene watching your crush talking to another girl, for heaven's sake! I wasn't aware of how good the background music for 2019 until I watched the 2021 version, they made funny lines became even funnier with a touch of comical music here and there, and made me weep with the gut wrenching melodies. They should know better that background music is playing a significant role to toy with the audiences' emotions and yet, the 2021 version failed to make the best of it for their advantages.

3) Lack of Remarkable Scenes and Great Dialogues
Where do I start? There are so many powerful scenes in the old version that the new one can't compete. The windowsill scene, their first encounter in college, the raincoat scenes, the hot water scene, the list goes on…
24 episodes were already too much for me, so I couldn't believe this one has 38 episodes. And somehow along the way, you can feel the conflict is too much, draggy and unnecessary. I mean, it's quite tricky for a predictable drama where we know for certain that the hero and heroine will end up together. It's not like mystery or thriller dramas where audiences tend to stay because they want to understand the mystery. It is important to have good scenes to keep us attached.

4) Cast and Characters :
Again, couldn't help but make a comparison. I'm not going to list them all, just my two favorite characters, Luo Zhi and Zhang Mingrui. I like both the 2019 and 2021 FL, though there is a huge difference since the latest version made the girl more girl-ish. She is elegant, calm and soft. Whereas the 2019 is more witty, outspoken and sarcastic with boy-ish looks (I don't recall her wearing shorts or dresses). But I prefer the old cast, because her facial expressions gave more nuances to her character and made me feel her emotions.
Zhang Mingrui is still the Zhang Mingrui that I like. A cute, nice and funny boy that will make you both laugh and cry for him. But, the 2019 actor was just so great at playing his role, idk how to describe it. Totally a scene stealer! Go watch him.

Overall, I gotta say the 2019 version is far better than this one. I was hoping to see something great since there is Hu Yui Tian! I'm a fan from A Love So Beautiful. But again, a good drama isn't just about having pretty actors with great acting skills, other aspects are no less important.

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