TheDramaddict
This review may contain spoilers
Wanted to like this but found it hard
I have watched a lot of modern romantic C-dramas and this one, so far, has been pretty bad and bland, even compared to dramas I've watched that are rated below 7.5. In fact, I recently finished watching Miss Ye in Wonderland (rated 7.4), which I quite liked because of the chemistry and crazy skinship (maybe I have bad tastes but I honestly liked it more than high-rated dramas like Put Your Head on my Shoulder... still don't know how it has an 8.4). Compared to recent dramas, I also think this is worse than Sweet Trap (despite Sweet Trap's rushed falling action and ending). ANYWAYS, here are my thoughts and analysis so far.
About FL:
I loved the female actress in Love Me, Love my Voice, so she was my reason for watching this. Here, I found her quite annoying for a lot of the beginning episodes (up until she gets rejected) because she pretends to be timid and cute (due to advice from an online friend... who happens to be her irl crush, Gu Xun). He rejects her, finds out she is his online crush, and a reverse-pursuit happens. After she stops faking her personality, what I dislike about her character is that she never lets Gu Xun explain himself, is short-tempered, and is violent, so there's a lack of communication, as well as miscommunication. Tbf, she was harshly rejected before, so for most of the story, she goes from wanting to avoid him like the plague to hoping for something more (but being insecure and lacking security), which is understandable.
About ML:
Then, there's Gu Xun.. this character is as frustrating or maybe even more frustrating than the one the male actor played in Put Your Head on my Shoulder. First off, he rejects her, while not being aware he has a mic on, so he embarasses her in front of the whole school? How tf do you not know you have a mic on? After saying one word, you should hear yourself being broadcasted and know to stfu. He initially dislikes the FL, calling her snake (because an IRL CS game), and her fake personality (which was HIS fault because he fell for her online and gave sh*t advice because he was jealous of himself, albeit unknowingly). In one of the episodes, he tells the FL that he is in fact Campus Hunk, but the FL misinterprets and just wants to avoid him altogether. What I dislike about Gu Xun is his lies, deception, jealousy, and cowardice. I'll admit, some of his acts are sweet and show that he cares; HOWEVER, this is a case where words are louder than action. He's a literal man-child. Although he tried telling the FL before that he is Campus Hunk, he never even attempted to explain again after. In fact, the FL eventually suspects that Gu Xun is Campus Hunk because he buys medicine when she's sick and she only told Campus Hunk. In the car, she asks him about the community app on his phone and asks to add him. This could have been the PERFECT chance to tell her the truth but he deceives her by using his friend's account. This makes her madder when she eventually finds out, even hitting him with her bag, scratching him. Aside from this, he pretends to be her boyfriend to stop her childhood friend and uses it as an excuse to engage in skinship (and the FL is literally repulsed by it). He gets jealous of the childhood friend; he gets jealous of the co-worker. BUT he does not CONFESS until ep. 19 and it wasn't even that nice (he doesn't even say I like you, he says the person in front of you likes you. Just speak in first-person...) In one of the episodes, when watching a horror movie, he even tries putting his arm over her shoulder? She moves away, then comes back when he pretends to be scared. Personally, I don't think this is cute at all. They weren't even dating yet. He should've manned the f*ck up a long time ago and confessed, so he did not have to use stupid excuses to engage in skinship.
Chemistry:
Honestly, I think the main leads have 0 chemistry. In the beginning, you have one-way interest from FL to ML. Then, for a lot of the story, you have one-way interest from ML to FL. Eventually FL stops hating his guts, is moved by his actions, and feels "oh, he might like me." Maybe it's the actors or maybe it's just the characters but I feel no chemistry. Granted, the first kiss is in episode 19th and much of the skinship will be in ep 20+... but, chemistry is not necessarily about skinship. The FL just often has a deadpan face after being rejected and looks like she detests Gu Xun 99% of the time. There are cliche, accidental hugs and stuff, but they did not feel that fluffy to me.
The series is still airing so maybe my mind will change after watching all the episodes, though I doubt it. This is definitely a SLOWWWW burn and the plot isn't all that interesting.
About FL:
I loved the female actress in Love Me, Love my Voice, so she was my reason for watching this. Here, I found her quite annoying for a lot of the beginning episodes (up until she gets rejected) because she pretends to be timid and cute (due to advice from an online friend... who happens to be her irl crush, Gu Xun). He rejects her, finds out she is his online crush, and a reverse-pursuit happens. After she stops faking her personality, what I dislike about her character is that she never lets Gu Xun explain himself, is short-tempered, and is violent, so there's a lack of communication, as well as miscommunication. Tbf, she was harshly rejected before, so for most of the story, she goes from wanting to avoid him like the plague to hoping for something more (but being insecure and lacking security), which is understandable.
About ML:
Then, there's Gu Xun.. this character is as frustrating or maybe even more frustrating than the one the male actor played in Put Your Head on my Shoulder. First off, he rejects her, while not being aware he has a mic on, so he embarasses her in front of the whole school? How tf do you not know you have a mic on? After saying one word, you should hear yourself being broadcasted and know to stfu. He initially dislikes the FL, calling her snake (because an IRL CS game), and her fake personality (which was HIS fault because he fell for her online and gave sh*t advice because he was jealous of himself, albeit unknowingly). In one of the episodes, he tells the FL that he is in fact Campus Hunk, but the FL misinterprets and just wants to avoid him altogether. What I dislike about Gu Xun is his lies, deception, jealousy, and cowardice. I'll admit, some of his acts are sweet and show that he cares; HOWEVER, this is a case where words are louder than action. He's a literal man-child. Although he tried telling the FL before that he is Campus Hunk, he never even attempted to explain again after. In fact, the FL eventually suspects that Gu Xun is Campus Hunk because he buys medicine when she's sick and she only told Campus Hunk. In the car, she asks him about the community app on his phone and asks to add him. This could have been the PERFECT chance to tell her the truth but he deceives her by using his friend's account. This makes her madder when she eventually finds out, even hitting him with her bag, scratching him. Aside from this, he pretends to be her boyfriend to stop her childhood friend and uses it as an excuse to engage in skinship (and the FL is literally repulsed by it). He gets jealous of the childhood friend; he gets jealous of the co-worker. BUT he does not CONFESS until ep. 19 and it wasn't even that nice (he doesn't even say I like you, he says the person in front of you likes you. Just speak in first-person...) In one of the episodes, when watching a horror movie, he even tries putting his arm over her shoulder? She moves away, then comes back when he pretends to be scared. Personally, I don't think this is cute at all. They weren't even dating yet. He should've manned the f*ck up a long time ago and confessed, so he did not have to use stupid excuses to engage in skinship.
Chemistry:
Honestly, I think the main leads have 0 chemistry. In the beginning, you have one-way interest from FL to ML. Then, for a lot of the story, you have one-way interest from ML to FL. Eventually FL stops hating his guts, is moved by his actions, and feels "oh, he might like me." Maybe it's the actors or maybe it's just the characters but I feel no chemistry. Granted, the first kiss is in episode 19th and much of the skinship will be in ep 20+... but, chemistry is not necessarily about skinship. The FL just often has a deadpan face after being rejected and looks like she detests Gu Xun 99% of the time. There are cliche, accidental hugs and stuff, but they did not feel that fluffy to me.
The series is still airing so maybe my mind will change after watching all the episodes, though I doubt it. This is definitely a SLOWWWW burn and the plot isn't all that interesting.
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