Jay

I should've heeded your warning..but I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts and see where you're coming from on some points.

I agree that there are a lot of situations where things don't work, especially in regards to relationships. And I think there are a lot of examples of this shown in the drama. (Jian Dan and Han Xue, Beta and Zhang Ping, Zhang Ping and his junior classmate, Beta and Xu Yan Liang, etc)
In fact because of all these examples, I thought it was leading to the conclusion that Geng Geng and Yu Huai would never end up together. But I like the fact that there are examples of people who did get their "happy ending" to balance out all of those heartbreaks that I mentioned above. (Geng Geng and Yu Huai, the seniors, Zhang Ping and the other teacher, Jian Dan and Zhou Mo)
Two of these cases are where the first loves turned out to be their "only" love up to that point in life but the other two found love from people they didn't initially expect it from. I especially like Jian Dan and Zhou Mo's relationship as she found someone who appreciates her back.
Essentially, there were a lot of unrequited loves/non-starts throughout the drama and it was nice to see some relationships that actually panned out.

In regards to Lu Xing He, he took his shot and was rejected. I don't get the idea that just because he was nice to her, that she should accept his feelings. It's his own decision to do these things for her, she's not obligated to reciprocate his romantic feelings. I get that "on paper", he may seem like an ideal fit for her as a partner but if she truly loves Yu Huai and only wants to be with him, that's her choice.

As for Yu Huai and whether his actions showed that he truly loved her, you have to examine his character to get your answer. As others have said, he has an ego and is a prideful person. He had this idea that Geng Geng idolizes him and is trying to live up to that perfect image of him that he thinks she has of him. Added to this, he has his own expectations for himself and his mom's expectations. Also, his mom's health is failing and his dad is out of the country. Because of this, he is used to fending for himself and having to shoulder the burden by himself. Now i'm not saying his decision to disappear from Geng Geng's life was right but all of these factors made me empathize with him and his situation. After learning about what happened to him all of those years, Geng Geng seemed able to accept that and was willing to be by his side and offer her support. I feel that she showed a great deal of empathy here, even though he disappeared for that period of time, she still wanted to be by his side. Yu Huai initially thought that Geng Geng would only want to be with him if he was at his best but she fell in love with the person not his achievements. He himself acknowledges that because of his decision, he has wasted a lot of time, time that could've been spent together.

I guess this is where we have a disagreement in what was intended or accomplished. From what I understand (correct me if I'm wrong), you seem to want the idea of regrets/longing explored in the ending or how it was handled. Especially with the idea that Yu Huai wishes he could have been better sooner in life so that he can match with Geng Geng. But you can't turn back time and as you said, we shouldn't shun "failure." It's not like some deus ex machina was used, both Yu Huai and Geng Geng got to where they were in life because of their own hard work/determination and perseverance. Yu Huai had setbacks that he didn't expect to face but I feel like it humbled him and allowed him to see that he didn't have to face these setbacks alone.

I don't equate the quality of a piece of work with how "realistic" it is or isn't. After all these are fictional pieces of work. One of the reasons why I responded to positively to this drama is that it's able to balance the hard truths of life (heartbreak/failure) with hope/optimism/success. There's a lot of love and empathy shown to these characters and no matter how much or little screentime they had, I felt invested in their lives and wanted to see them grow/improve/mature and it inspired me to do the same.

Not all heroes wear capes...you're the real MVP!

Thanks for giving them credit so that more people can appreciate their work.

https://twitter.com/nuomisubs/status/951798136976134144

Nuomi said she may be able to sub Ep 3 and have it up by the weekend. I too really like what i've watched from the first two episodes and eager to watch the rest. I'm extremely appreciative of her efforts and will continue to be patient.

Well said, Fran!

I especially like what you said about the ending and agree completely.
In my opinion, the ending strikes the perfect balance between being an "open-ended" one in the sense that we're not sure how everything will turn out but also hopeful in tone.
Failure is undoubtedly part of life but it's important to not let it define us and most importantly what we learn from it. That also means, sometimes you have to accept the fact that you can't do it all alone and there is no shame in asking for help. As you said, all we can do is try.

We meet again..:-)

Who is to say what's "realistic" in terms of how people's lives will turn out. No one knows for sure where they will be in 5 or 10 years from now,

I don't see how Geng Geng is a superstar, she had a job as a photographer for a magazine and owns her own photography studio. I thought it would have been more farfetched if she ended up being accepted at Beijing Film Academy(I think this was the school) as a film director above all of those either candidates despite not having any prior experience/work in that field and ends up being the top director in all of China or something. Similarly, I wouldn't say Yu Huai is a "loser." Sure, he didn't end up with his desired result but he also had to postpone his studies to take care of his mom because of her failing health. At that stage in his life, he might be "behind" Geng Geng in terms of what they have achieved so far in life but that doesn't mean he won't achieve success later in life. Life is not a sprint; it's a marathon. (Sorry for the cheesy quote)

As I said, their achievements may be lopsided now but just as Yu Huai helped Geng Geng in the past, now that the roles have reversed, it would be up to Yu Huai to put his pride aside and accept help from Geng Geng since she's the one that is now in position to offer it.

At the end of the day, this is still a drama, I'm sure people would be even more dissatisfied with the ending if they completely went their own separate paths and never had that chance encounter. Sure it was complete luck but crazier things have happened then bumping into an old friend in the same city you've lived all your life even so many years later. I know they wanted to portray it as "romantic" that they waited for each other and people might find that ridiculous but I think their relationship was suppose to mirror her seniors. Her senior (Luo Zhi) had a crush on someone for a long time but never had the courage to confess her feelings in high school and thought she would never get the chance to. They end up going to university together and have a chance to get close to one another and this time she seizes the opportunity and ends up with her happy ending. Throughout the drama, there's a lot of failed romances (Beta, Jian Dan, Zhang Ping) but Luo Zhi's is one example of a successful one and even though it took longer than she probably would have wanted, love works in mysterious ways (sorry again).
The heart wants what it wants and you have to be in the right place AND right time for love. It's clear the two had strong feelings for one another and although other things got in the way in the past, they might finally have their chance and it is up to them to take it.

Just my two cents...take care bro!

Great post! I am in total agreement with many of the points you have made.
As you said, this drama is more focused on how we come of age and how our time in high school sets the foundation on what kind of person we become in the future. And mostly it's going to be trial and error, not everyone gets it right 100% of the time and there will surely be growing pains. I think Yu Huai also didn't confess his feelings in high school was because of that incident with his previous "deskmate" and his mother's reaction to it.
To touch on your point on Yu Huai's ego, I also find it interesting that it showed that having a one track mind and no backup plan could backfire and the fallout from that. Although it's admirable that Yu Huai identified his strength from a young age and put all his effort into being good at that one thing, his ego prevented him from being a more well rounded individual and broadening his interests. Whereas, Geng Geng didn't have those hangups and pursued many options with an open mind and she was better for it.

I also agree with you about Lu Xing He. He went out of his way to do kind gestures for her and proposed but Geng Geng isn't obligated to reciprocate his feelings. From the way I saw it, Lu Xing He played a crucial part in helping her expand her interests and to be more daring in pursuing her interests but she genuinely seemed happier just being around Yu Huai.

In regards to the ending, I definitely think it's a hopeful one. As you said, Yu Huai is a prideful person. He knew that Geng Geng had an idealized version of him in her mind and didn't want to disappoint her and to burden her with his mistakes. I feel with him meeting her at the tree in the end, he was finally able to put his pride aside and take solace in the fact that she was willing to be with him even if he wasn't at his best. Whatever the future holds, they would face it together. Just as Yu Huai exercised his patience with helping her academically in the past, Geng Geng would similarly be patient with Yu Huai in getting his life back on track to where he wants to be, no matter how long it takes. Even if he doesn't get there, I still feel like Geng Geng would want to be with him.

That was my interpretation of the sudoku scene as well.

Yeah, first episode was mostly setup/prelude of things to come. I think it's more like the teachers/aunt see that she is so gifted at math/science and it's a "safer choice" in terms of how well she will be paid once she gets a job in the related field but she clearly has an interest in music. Guess we'll see how this plays out.

I haven't gotten around to watching this yet but nice to know that it is off to a good start.

Thanks for the update!

Thanks for taking the time to sub this! (along with all the hard work you did for A Love So Beautiful, I greatly appreciate it)

Happy Holidays!

Lol nah i'm still in Canada and trust me I would rather be else where for the time being. It's too cold.

Good luck out there though, represent for Toronto!

Ah okay, I understand what you're getting at. All I'm saying is have a little faith in the production team since this retains the same director/ writer. Just because the premise/synopsis may sound similar to NIF1 doesn't mean we'll get the same story, I doubt they'll go back to the same well twice. I don't put to much weight on it in regards to what I watch but over at Douban, this is a rocking a solid 8.2/10 (actually started off at 8.0 so it's been increasing but it's still early I know) and they're usually pretty tough on their own (Chinese) dramas (NIF1 scored a 9.1 for reference). Either way, there are many ways to tell a story. Let's just sit back and watch and see how it unfolds.

Also, I noticed you're from Toronto (even though I don't live there anymore)...Merry Christmas, my fellow Torontonian!

I conceded that he teases her but I never said it was justified. The characters have a history with one another. Some friends rib/tease one another, i'm not going to say whether its right or wrong. It's up to the individual and how they feel about it. Let me stress again, as long as it's BETWEEN FRIENDS and there is a tacit understanding of what is tolerable/hurtful. It goes without saying, if a stranger who didn't know her boundaries and started acting like this towards her, it would be troublesome. We're just speculating about fictional characters here but if she chooses to still harbor a crush on him after all these years despite his teasing, maybe she isn't as bothered by it. We all can have our own opinions about it but once again it's up to her to decide.
The great thing about dramas is watching characters grow and change over the course of the drama.

Chen Xiao Xi is a character that definitely wears her heart on her sleeve and although she definitely isn't "elegant" in the way she expresses her admiration/love for Jiang Chen, I don't see how that is a reflection of her intelligence. Sure, she's not strong academically but she knows her own strengths/weaknesses and ends up exploring her creative side with the support of her teachers and classmates.

Jiang Chen is pretty harsh in the way he teases her but if you watch past the first episode, he does a lot of kind gestures for her throughout. In fact, it was an act of kindess by Jiang Chen towards a younger child that sparked her interest in him in the first place.

I think Yu Huai got the courage to finally express his feelings after he heard Geng Geng's side of it and how she would always be there for him and support him. I do agree that it would be nice to see Yu Huai explain and atone for straight up abandoning Geng Geng like that. But as they explained, he was heavily affected by not gaining admission and hid away. Like the title says, I think it's simply trying to say how blissful it is for them to be together and how when they're with each other, they can be the best versions of themselves whether it is romantic or not. Although, I do think he has romantic feelings for her and would've confessed them to her after the exam results if he did get in.

No worries, it is hard to gauge tone simply through text and sorry if I came off as hostile. But thanks for sharing your thoughts!

I think the drama definitely set out to do more than just that. With youth/coming of dramas, especially in this case, they're focusing on how those years in high school are formative in how we grow up. In Geng Geng's case she had to adjust to a new school where the expectations were higher, deciding which stream to focus on and it was only through her interactions with Lu Xing He that she explores her creative side. She also pursued directing but wasn't successful. Beyond that, she had to adjust to her parent's divorce (which I feel definitely impacts the way she views love ), new stepmom and whether she loves her own son more than her. And that's only looking at it from Geng Geng's POV. All of the other characters had their own issues that were also looked at.

If we're going completely by what the synopsis promises then I definitely feel like the drama delivers what it sets out to accomplish.

When the drama begins, Yu Huai and Geng Geng start off on bad terms and actually can't stand being around with one another because something always bad seems to happen when they're around each other. However, over 20 plus episodes, we spend time with them through the three years of high school and see their relationship progress to the point where they're proclaiming they want to be desk buddies forever and always want to be together.

As I mentioned before, Yu Huai rejected Geng Geng because in his own words, he didn't want to drag her down with him and didn't think she could help him. It's only after her reassurance that he is able to work up the courage to reciprocate her feelings.

See I don't understand how the direction of the drama changed. Geng Geng and Luo Zhi's situation kind of mirrored one another. They had admiration/feelings for someone but kept it hidden for a long time and thought that the other person would never know of them. However, after Geng Geng meets Luo Zhi, she sees that they were finally given an opportunity later in college to get to know one another and finally progressed in their relationship. I think this finally gave Geng Geng the courage to confess her feelings to Yu Huai.

As Geng Geng said, love is simply about being together. Yu Huai thought he had some image to uphold and was too ashamed to face Geng Geng. It was up to Yu Huai to finally realize that for Geng Geng, being with each other is all that matters and if he would be able to accept that. He did at the end and met her at the tree.

Lastly, I'm not trying to be argumentative, I just wanted to understand differing opinions. :-)

I think the ending is open in the sense that it doesn't show them in a relationship, marriage, have children and live happily ever after but it is indeed hopeful/optimistic in the sense that they will finally pursue a relationship with one another.

The reason Yu Huai left was definitely for "noble sacrifice" reasons. Yu Huai had it in his mind that Geng Geng admired him and idolized him for how well he did academically. After not getting into his school of choice, he hid from her because he didn't want her image of him to change and to be a burden to her. However, Geng Geng expresses to Yu Huai that just like how he helped her in the past, now that the roles have reversed, it would be her turn to help him and that they can face the challenges together. Yu Huai acknowledges and is regretful of all that missed time they could have spent together and finally puts his pride aside to be with her. True, he didn't give her a "true" confession but she was the one who actually showed courage and "truly" confessed to him about how nothing else matters and that she simply just wants to be with him no matter how long she has to wait for him.

I think Geng Geng had her own good ending even without Yu Huai (even though it's definitely implied that they will pursue a relationship), even though she struggled in school, she still ended up opening her own photography studio and is being paid to practice one of her hobbies/interests essentially. As well, she seems to be on good terms with her family.

Not to single out your post but I've seen similar posts/reviews and think it's a disservice to the drama to rate it entirely based on your feelings to the romance portion because the drama sets out to accomplish more than that but to each their own.

Way to bring shame to our name. Jk.

But hey that's your prerogative. We're only 2 episodes in out of 50 so 4% of the story has been told. A lot of people had issues with the buildup of NIF1 as well and only in hindsight can they say it was worth it. So I will afford this drama the same opportunity to prove its worth.

Lol it happens to the best of us.

But good on ya for owning it and not editing your original post! :-)

I think Viki has the license for this:
https://www.viki.com/tv/35550c-my-dear-boy

From the writer of In Time With You, An Innocent Mistake, Life Plan A and B so i'm really looking forward to this.