I’d like to start this review off with letting others know that this is not going to be a replacement for “A Love So Beautiful,” which is much more light hearted.

“With You,” invokes nostalgia for whoever watches it. We see the squad of friends, the “this isn’t just friends, but this isn’t dating either” relationship, the teachers we love and the teachers we....weren’t quite fond of. This is hands down my favorite school drama of all time.

The character developement is exquisite, and each character is perfectly imperfect. Our male lead, Yu Huai, is an intelligeng out going guy that exudes best friend turned boyfriend vibes. It’s hard to find anything negative to dislike his character. Despite how he excels in Physics, his character struggles with subjects unrelated to the pure sciences and chooses to neglect them all together to focus on honing his skills in Physics. A choice that will later prove to have consequences.

Geng Geng is a sweet goof ball of a female lead. Initially she can come off as the typical unintelligent female lead, but she’s actually quite normal with a hint of raw talent in the arts. She’s a little clumsy, and Yu Huai finds almost everything she does funny, but she has a heart of gold and builds great relationships with those around her.

This story isn’t about romance, it’s about the lives of two characters and their friends as they navigate their way through adolescence. This naturally includes romance, and this story DOES tell quite a beautiful relationship between the two leads, but it’s their faith, reliance, and natural actions between the two that is what attracts the viewers to them.

“With You,” masterfully tackles common issues amongst teenagers like finding a place you belong, learning to voice your own opinions, stress from the vast unknown future and much more.

The acting was amazing and I’ve fallen in love with the actors/actresses that have portrayed these characters. The story didn’t recieve a 10 from me mainly because I personally believe the ending was somewhat rushed, but I still loved it.

A side note about Lu Xing He (second male lead), I didn’t dislike his character. He is somewhat of a typical second male lead with his contrasting straight forwardness about his interest in the FL, however this drama did a great job at showing regardless of his “perfect,” one may appear, feelings can not be controlled. People are not obligated to reciprocate someone’s feelings, no matter how great said person may be.

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