Meljus3
A novel with ripped out pages
This is the best nor is this the worst C-drama I've watched recently but somehow I feel compelled to write a review about it. I started this with a warning from my sister who dropped it on the first episode because she thought it was boring. It wasn't.
The production of this drama is far from perfect. There were a lot of shaky and unpolished shots that reminded me of low-budget indie works. The actors weren't as flawless as you would see in some mainstream dramas either and the acting was a bit awkward at times. Nonetheless, these actors and shots came together to make one point - this isn't your ordinary school-life drama.
This is a slow-paced and realistic story that follows four college dormmates as they navigate through their university life. With warm tones that invoke a sense of nostalgia, watching this drama almost felt like reading a book. Each episode is comparable to finishing a chapter of Little Women had they been Chinese instead of Westerners and dormmates instead of sisters.
The concept of this drama is generally good. I could have rated the story higher if not for these reasons:
First, I absolutely hated Bai Lin. I admire how loyal she was but honestly, she was the type of person whom I would have slapped had she been my roommate. There was a hint of character growth towards the end of the drama but it was hardly enough.
Second, there was no conclusion at all to Zhao Xiao Tang's story. I love a good open ending but this wasn't just a giant loose end - this feels like the story was left unfinished midway and what I know so far makes me imagine that things can definitely get worse.
Third, the ending was just - to put it simply - disappointing. I would have preferred an open ending to the one that was shown. It wasn't even about the pairing; it was about how the build-up was made. All the hints were pointing to the pair closing their chapter; and except for the fact that she didn't take her assessment or submit her drafts, there wasn't even a hint of confusion on the female lead's end. She had seemed so resolute only to make a decision that was totally unexpected.
So what happened? I felt like some parts of this story were missing, like pages of the book being ripped out right before the very end.
The production of this drama is far from perfect. There were a lot of shaky and unpolished shots that reminded me of low-budget indie works. The actors weren't as flawless as you would see in some mainstream dramas either and the acting was a bit awkward at times. Nonetheless, these actors and shots came together to make one point - this isn't your ordinary school-life drama.
This is a slow-paced and realistic story that follows four college dormmates as they navigate through their university life. With warm tones that invoke a sense of nostalgia, watching this drama almost felt like reading a book. Each episode is comparable to finishing a chapter of Little Women had they been Chinese instead of Westerners and dormmates instead of sisters.
The concept of this drama is generally good. I could have rated the story higher if not for these reasons:
First, I absolutely hated Bai Lin. I admire how loyal she was but honestly, she was the type of person whom I would have slapped had she been my roommate. There was a hint of character growth towards the end of the drama but it was hardly enough.
Second, there was no conclusion at all to Zhao Xiao Tang's story. I love a good open ending but this wasn't just a giant loose end - this feels like the story was left unfinished midway and what I know so far makes me imagine that things can definitely get worse.
Third, the ending was just - to put it simply - disappointing. I would have preferred an open ending to the one that was shown. It wasn't even about the pairing; it was about how the build-up was made. All the hints were pointing to the pair closing their chapter; and except for the fact that she didn't take her assessment or submit her drafts, there wasn't even a hint of confusion on the female lead's end. She had seemed so resolute only to make a decision that was totally unexpected.
So what happened? I felt like some parts of this story were missing, like pages of the book being ripped out right before the very end.
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