This review may contain spoilers
A bit flat
Okay, so I’m writing this review as someone who actually read the book, because I think that makes a pretty big difference here.
I completely understand why they made Luan Nian nicer in the TV adaptation. In the book, he can honestly be kind of an as*h*le, and I can understand wanting to soften his character for the drama. But I think they’ve taken it a little too far.
He’s too nice now, and honestly, I think it makes the story flatter.
One of the things I really liked about the book was that you could understand the huge breakup. You understood where the story was going, why things were happening, and ultimately why their relationship fell apart. Luan Nian was the one with the communication problems. He was closed off, emotionally distant, and unwilling to really let Shang Zhitao into his life. And you can actually see him slowly opening up — unfortunately, by the time he does, she’s already emotionally moving in the opposite direction.
In the drama, though, they’ve changed so much of that dynamic that it almost feels like Shang Zhitao is the one who struggles to communicate and is the problem in the relationship.
For example, in the drama, he introduces her to his friends and is very open about her. In the book, she basically never meets his friends. They don’t really socialize outside of their Fridays and weekends together, and that distance is actually important to the story. You can see him slowly changing, which makes the relationship — and eventually the breakup — much more meaningful.
Here, there’s barely any evolution because he’s already open and affectionate from the beginning.
So instead of watching two people gradually learn how to be together, it kind of feels like we’re just watching two awkward people being awkward together 😂
And honestly, I’m finding myself much less invested than I thought I would be.
I’m not saying they needed to make Luan Nian exactly like he is in the book. I actually understand why they softened him. But they softened him so much that they also changed the entire dynamic of the story, and I’m not sure the adaptation is better for it.
I completely understand why they made Luan Nian nicer in the TV adaptation. In the book, he can honestly be kind of an as*h*le, and I can understand wanting to soften his character for the drama. But I think they’ve taken it a little too far.
He’s too nice now, and honestly, I think it makes the story flatter.
One of the things I really liked about the book was that you could understand the huge breakup. You understood where the story was going, why things were happening, and ultimately why their relationship fell apart. Luan Nian was the one with the communication problems. He was closed off, emotionally distant, and unwilling to really let Shang Zhitao into his life. And you can actually see him slowly opening up — unfortunately, by the time he does, she’s already emotionally moving in the opposite direction.
In the drama, though, they’ve changed so much of that dynamic that it almost feels like Shang Zhitao is the one who struggles to communicate and is the problem in the relationship.
For example, in the drama, he introduces her to his friends and is very open about her. In the book, she basically never meets his friends. They don’t really socialize outside of their Fridays and weekends together, and that distance is actually important to the story. You can see him slowly changing, which makes the relationship — and eventually the breakup — much more meaningful.
Here, there’s barely any evolution because he’s already open and affectionate from the beginning.
So instead of watching two people gradually learn how to be together, it kind of feels like we’re just watching two awkward people being awkward together 😂
And honestly, I’m finding myself much less invested than I thought I would be.
I’m not saying they needed to make Luan Nian exactly like he is in the book. I actually understand why they softened him. But they softened him so much that they also changed the entire dynamic of the story, and I’m not sure the adaptation is better for it.
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