1
A fun little show with just enough feels
Another review described this as a good show for drama hangover, and I rather liked the idea of a palette cleanser- just something fun and lighthearted that won’t sit in your gut afterwards like an emotional rock. I do think it fulfills this promise, but it’s also just a nice little show in its own right.
This show is a comedy, and its humor has been described as slapstick. Slapstick really is not my favorite, but I’m happy to report now that I think it’s a few steps above. It still made me laugh. The humor includes things like overdramatization making fun of Cdrama tropes, ridiculous developments in the story, derailed conversations, funny expressions, etc. Even with the humor I didn’t quite jibe with, I still liked the lighthearted tone.
The ML isn’t necessarily a goofy character, but he does silly things sometimes, which I found really endearing. The FL I found slightly less endearing but she’s still likable. She is doing her best with a naïve sincerity, and this is the kind of show where that pays off. There are also several side characters that I came to really like, like the two pals who travel with the leads and have their own silly interactions.
The SML creates a love triangle, but it didn’t bother me much either since it’s no-contest from the beginning. The SML is not a bad guy but simply represents a different philosophy of boyfriend- he wants to protect her whereas the ML believes in her. I like how the show contrasts the two to show that he’s not bad, just not what she wants.
The story itself is not too amazing but not that bad. Despite this being a comedy, there are still some really heartfelt and touching moments, and depth in certain places. I think that’s the best kind of comedy. I was also really satisfied with the ending and how things are resolved. This show doesn’t try for anything grand, just ties up each story in a fitting way.
My main complaint is that I didn’t really like the romance and felt it got in the way of the story. It’s established rather suddenly and then there’s too much saving back and forth. I would have preferred more focus on the FL finding her independence and chasing her dreams, and how the ML always supports her in that, rather than how worried they are for each other and how much they like each other.
In fact, one of my favorite things about this show is its really nice female empowerment message. It’s very well done- an important component but not too heavy-handed, because it’s told in such a cheerful and lighthearted way. I love the Chinese name 少女江湖 (like shoujo’s Jianghu, if you’re familiar with the Japanese culture around the terms), because it does feel kind of like the female version of a shounen. This is a very sexist world- just like so many of those shounens, hah- and a girl is trying to make her way. With her naïve sincerity, she does what she thinks is right, despite all the setbacks. The contrast between the ML and SML also hints at a core issue. Lots of dramas used to have FLs being rescued by MLs, but nowadays many shows seem to be more interested in women’s autonomy and respect rather than their protection, and I love that that’s addressed head-on here.
For the acting, I thought Caesar Wu does a great job in this show. Some of his expressions alone made me laugh, and they look great on his face too, but my main props go to him dancing! I laughed so hard. Xu Lu also does a good job going between serious and not, and the side characters (like the brother with his :> smile) are pretty great.
The production is not bad, though this is not a top tier show. Costume and styling still look pretty good and I am so happy that some people even have skin tones and/or tans! The OST has two songs which I didn’t care for, but I did like the nice piano BGMs which set a really soft, heartfelt mood.
Overall this is a fun little show with just enough seriousness to make you care, and a nice exploration of girl power. I didn’t care for the romance and feel it distracted away from what I liked most, but it’s still an enjoyable watch- and yes, a good palette cleanser.
ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS
This show has a happy ending, of course. I actually really like how the final conflicts resolve and what becomes of the characters. The only sad part is the SML’s death... ... but, come on, he totally could have blocked that...? Also, how come nobody went after the old guy controlling him with the flute?
This show is a comedy, and its humor has been described as slapstick. Slapstick really is not my favorite, but I’m happy to report now that I think it’s a few steps above. It still made me laugh. The humor includes things like overdramatization making fun of Cdrama tropes, ridiculous developments in the story, derailed conversations, funny expressions, etc. Even with the humor I didn’t quite jibe with, I still liked the lighthearted tone.
The ML isn’t necessarily a goofy character, but he does silly things sometimes, which I found really endearing. The FL I found slightly less endearing but she’s still likable. She is doing her best with a naïve sincerity, and this is the kind of show where that pays off. There are also several side characters that I came to really like, like the two pals who travel with the leads and have their own silly interactions.
The SML creates a love triangle, but it didn’t bother me much either since it’s no-contest from the beginning. The SML is not a bad guy but simply represents a different philosophy of boyfriend- he wants to protect her whereas the ML believes in her. I like how the show contrasts the two to show that he’s not bad, just not what she wants.
The story itself is not too amazing but not that bad. Despite this being a comedy, there are still some really heartfelt and touching moments, and depth in certain places. I think that’s the best kind of comedy. I was also really satisfied with the ending and how things are resolved. This show doesn’t try for anything grand, just ties up each story in a fitting way.
My main complaint is that I didn’t really like the romance and felt it got in the way of the story. It’s established rather suddenly and then there’s too much saving back and forth. I would have preferred more focus on the FL finding her independence and chasing her dreams, and how the ML always supports her in that, rather than how worried they are for each other and how much they like each other.
In fact, one of my favorite things about this show is its really nice female empowerment message. It’s very well done- an important component but not too heavy-handed, because it’s told in such a cheerful and lighthearted way. I love the Chinese name 少女江湖 (like shoujo’s Jianghu, if you’re familiar with the Japanese culture around the terms), because it does feel kind of like the female version of a shounen. This is a very sexist world- just like so many of those shounens, hah- and a girl is trying to make her way. With her naïve sincerity, she does what she thinks is right, despite all the setbacks. The contrast between the ML and SML also hints at a core issue. Lots of dramas used to have FLs being rescued by MLs, but nowadays many shows seem to be more interested in women’s autonomy and respect rather than their protection, and I love that that’s addressed head-on here.
For the acting, I thought Caesar Wu does a great job in this show. Some of his expressions alone made me laugh, and they look great on his face too, but my main props go to him dancing! I laughed so hard. Xu Lu also does a good job going between serious and not, and the side characters (like the brother with his :> smile) are pretty great.
The production is not bad, though this is not a top tier show. Costume and styling still look pretty good and I am so happy that some people even have skin tones and/or tans! The OST has two songs which I didn’t care for, but I did like the nice piano BGMs which set a really soft, heartfelt mood.
Overall this is a fun little show with just enough seriousness to make you care, and a nice exploration of girl power. I didn’t care for the romance and feel it distracted away from what I liked most, but it’s still an enjoyable watch- and yes, a good palette cleanser.
ENDING – READ AHEAD ONLY IF YOU WANT TO KNOW, CONTAINS SPOILERS
This show has a happy ending, of course. I actually really like how the final conflicts resolve and what becomes of the characters. The only sad part is the SML’s death... ... but, come on, he totally could have blocked that...? Also, how come nobody went after the old guy controlling him with the flute?
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