Contrary to popular opinion, I actually really loved this drama. Why? I'm not exactly sure but it's relatively rare that I care about all the relationships in a drama, whether it be the main couple, secondary couple, or the side story couples. Yes, this drama was supposed to be the journey to reaching your dreams. And yes, this drama does focus on the relationships more. But is that a bad thing?
I really liked all the relationships portrayed in the drama. So there are four couples. My favorite one was Mao Mao (Guo Shu Yao) and Dao Yuan (Lego Lee). I really like the reunited love storylines so of course I thought their high school flashbacks were just completely adorable. No, I haven't watched In a Good Way yet because I heard about the open ending and it's set in the 90's so I don't know how great Liu Chuan is so that can't influence my view on this drama. Anyways, I'm probably biased because of Lego but I really liked his character, regardless of the mistakes he made because it was very human. Their chemistry was spectacular, in my opinion. They look compatible and their interactions were so natural on screen. The main couple, Yi Fen and Qi Feng are pretty cute too. I liked the journey they experienced together more than their romance because their romance was kind of bland. The other two couples were cute and definitely added to the overall cuteness of the drama. The confessions, dates, and make-up scenes were all really creative, even for dramaland and I loved that. And as usual, there is a disapproving mother, and supportive parents, so be prepared for that. And did I mention James Wen played a small part here? I was so excited when he showed up because he was phenomenal in the drama, The Fierce Wife and he's just an awesome actor.
Aside from the romance, I loved their sisterhood. The four of them are like sisters and they always support each other and work through fights. I loved their friendship and how it contributed to the drama overall. The journey to reach their dreams did seem more like a side note than the main theme, which is how it's supposed to be. Nevertheless, this drama did portray the struggles of work, and materialistic values very well. It showed me the hardships of going out into society and how different people face those challenges. Yes, some of the follow your dream speeches were very cliche and corny but that's what this drama is about! I think they were appropriate and not overdone at all.
Music was great! Love the OST and I already downloaded them all. There were a few emotional songs that made me teary-eyed in combination with the scene. I especially love Missing You All the Time by Vianz & Shan, which is beautifully sung and I Want You by Dom. T, which is super catchy and a fun beat.
On a side note, one big reason why I fell in love with this drama was because I could identify with Mao Mao. In a way, I saw myself in her and I believe that for many drama viewers out there, being able to identify with a character is a huge aspect in starting to become emotionally attached to a drama. I could relate with her stubbornness and her resilience in always being the emotionally stronger one.
Overall, I already re-watched almost all the Mao Mao+Dao Yuan scenes so the re-watch value is high! I loved this drama and marathoned all of it in a week so I think I would re-watch it sometime in the future. I don't know how great Lego was in In a Good Way yet but I watched this first because I didn't want his performance there to influence me on what could have been a great drama. And Aim High was really a great drama! In the end, I definitely recommend this drama for those drama fans out there that like a lot of romance, like me! (9.75/9.25)
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