lin wanxing excitedly tries on her late grandfather's old watch—the very watch he had promised to give her when she grew up. she fumbles with the clasp, and wang fa quietly steps in to fasten it for her. she then gently lifts it to her ear, listening for the familiar sound of its steady ticking, as if she's checking whether her grandfather is still there.
in that moment, memories of her grandfather and grandmother's love, his promise to her, and the words of wisdom he once shared all come rushing back. tears rolling down her face. after feeling a little lost for a while, it's as though she suddenly feels her grandfather is right beside her again, warmly reassuring her and guiding her forward.
what i loved about this scene was its quiet simplicity. it made me surprisingly more emotional than i thought it would. the drama lets the close up shots of lwx's soft expressions, the humming melody, the comforting rhythm of ticking from her grandfather's watch to tell the story. it's a beautifully understated scene and a reminder that some of the most powerful moments in storytelling aren't spoken at all—they're simply felt.
have completed Never Ending Summer. already miss wan wan and lxx. love this summer youth love and second chance love filled with nostalgic and yearning vibes throughout the series.
+ ml's acting felt effortlessly natural from beginning to end. the scene where lxx dances with an imaginary zw was beautifully devastating, i felt his deep yearning and heartache. fl's acting shined in the heavy emotional moments, like when her grandmother passed away and when she was kidnapped (check out the bts). the scene when she slowly put on the red scarf her grandmother had knitted for her and talking to lxx so softly, quietly as if she had already cried out all her tears, yet she is still trying to hold herself together with whatever strength she had left. it's always this kind of quiet restraint, whether it’s the ml or fl, that is the most heartbreaking to me.
+ the chemistry btw the main leads is soft, gentle, and natural. and then there was the crazy tension in ep. 26 🔥🔥 this cdrama kinda feels like a manhua brought to life. many scenes are artistically composed (the bubbles and colorful balloons, the goldfishes in the jar, the abandoned pool with stacked chairs, the lavender garden, the snowing inside). it gives the feeling of a cherished memory - dreamlike, nostalgic, and gently touched with the romance of a fairy tale.
+ definitely the best double proposals i have seen in cdrama. they had filled their proposals with places and memories that shaped their relationship, making the moments feel so authentically zhou wan and lxx.
+ the plot twist in the finale was such a nice surprise! zw falling for lxx first, three years before he fell for her really gives their love story a whole new meaning. zw has liked lxx all this time 😭
+ one of my favorite lines was when lxx said, "zhou wan, even if you become 'bad,' there will always be someone who loves that version of you."
p.s. zw looked gorgeous with her classy feminine style in the adult arc.
i am in love with the intro of "when the galaxy falls" ost. that soft airy echoing "woah oh" part is so beautiful and addicting 💕 it feels like lu xi xiao is retracing his memories with zhou wan beneath a star filled summer sky ✨
on ep 9 - love their night time scooter bike stroll, the atmosphere so beautiful, love the random bubbles too haha. wan wan so cute with her antenna helmet and lxx trying to hide behind her so funny cute 🤣🤣
wow i finished the episodes so fast 🤯 it felt like a blink of an eye. the ml and fl have me completely intrigued, and loving all the mysteriousness for me to figure out. the pacing is nicely done, giving the story, characters, and relationships room to develop more naturally. even though there's a horror eerie vibe, it's balanced with light, funny, good moments. hopefully it continues this momentum throughout the series.
+ i loved watching their domestic moments. what i also appreciate is their realistic green flag relationship. they have imperfections, challenges and hard times just like any ordinary couple but what's important is how they approach/resolve them.
+ what a heartwarming ending, it was very fitting for them. just the two of them holding hands and walking together to go eat. her making a silly joke, trying to make him laugh. him saying sorry and then her saying sorry too, they share a kiss. nothing grand or dramatic. the moment felt natural and comfortable, just like their relationship. there was just something beautiful about that.
i am so happy that the fl and ml stayed loving and strong together as a couple 💕
ml: "she is not someone who can be summed up in a few lines of your article. the kind of life she has experienced, how much she has endured to survive, the choices she made, and how much those choices tormented her. you erased all of that context and turned her wounds into a spectacle... " omg this 😭😭 this reminds me of the way he looked at her while drawing her in the art class. even then, before he knew her story, he saw her beyond the lines and forms and shapes. even back then, before he really fell in love with her, he wanted to try understand and capture the person/humanity behind them.
fl: "from now on, no matter what I say, just remember that all of it means i love you.. so please don’t be sad." before she did what she must to protect him, she made sure the ml knew where her heart stood. he makes her feel safe and she does the same for him. she was not going to let anyone or anything, even herself, to come in btw them. so she asks him to not judge her future words at face value but to understand her love behind them. it's like she is saying when everything becomes difficult, please remember my sincerity, my heart.
no unnecessary misunderstandings, arguments or breakups. they choose to support, protect, care for, and make each other laugh while communicating their love and concern not just during good times but even more so the difficult times. another very healing episode. love it when the fl got so excited about decorating the x-mas tree with the ml - now after everything she finally have a home.
ml: too obvious my foot 🤣🤣🤣 fl was all serious about her not being able to hide her feelings for him at work, how she'll be too obvious. both ml and i were curious to see that cute lovestruck side of her but then bam the moment they enter work she is back in her full boss mode 😂 ml is like grrr i feel cheated...haha
also when ml pats fl's head telling her “hwaiting,” then takes her hand and puts it on his own head so she can pat him back and tell him “hwaiting” too… i mean, come on how cute was that??
my heart really feel for the fl in today's episode. the sadness in her eyes, the way she stayed silent when being misunderstood. seeing her wanting to hide again but also really wishing that someone won't give up on her. but even though she is scared, i think that she is still trying her best, trying to be brave. when she took the step to reach for and kiss him first, that to me was about her not giving up on herself. that final scene felt so raw and emotional and beautiful. really good acting from the fl.
ml's natural honesty really is so refreshing. when fl asked him what he has concluded about her and 2ml, he simply tells her he doesn't know, and that he wants to believe her bc his heart wants it to be true. what i appreciate is that he doesn't jump in with the typical romantic, reassuring words especially this early on btw them. he shows her his uncertainty, his conflicted feelings. he's so real with her. which would make her feel she doesn't have to always pretend either, she can slowly show her most real self with him.
at the same time, he takes responsibility for his own feelings, he doesn't put them on her. he takes the time to process and sort them out, and communicates this to her.
fl: then why did you kiss me? ml: bc you looked beautiful. i was very sober and clear in my mind. i just found you beautiful. that's why i kissed you. he was so honest and straightforward and sincere about it, my heart fluttering watching this and then next moment fl goes i have always been pretty 😂😂 i was so not expecting her to say that. and then ml is like giving her the death stare as if he's like are you serious right now? 🤣🤣
goodness the bgm/sounds are cracking me up 😂 and i got huai yi huai yiii playing in my head... doubt the doubt of the doubt haha
i also wanna say that the thieves duo surprised me, i was completely expecting for the older brother to follow the usual bad tempered, constant yelling trope whenever the younger brother messed up but i am really glad that it went in a different, refreshing direction. instead the older bro either has this almost half amused half defeated look on his face, makes a comment or two in such a quiet, calm way or gets so frustrated he's in tears 🤣
- it seems like ry is feeling more embarrassed than mad. every time she thinks of him she just feel like she's gonna die of embarrassment, wanting to disappear - it's relatable - her getting mad and expressing it to xhs is the moment that they can move past all the politeness and can finally start to be honest and get to know the real each other - love the fl's best friend, she's both bad ass and classy.
btw i like how most of the characters are pretty likable, it's so nice. hope it stays that way.
really like the lightheartedness and relaxing vibe of this series, also in love with the beautiful bgm. the ml and fl is actually kind of relatable - ml trying to be the kind of man that fl likes. he has liked her for a very long time and the longer you wait and hesitate, the harder it becomes to make an actual move and be honest, the pressure and fear grows, he ends up overanalyzing which again it's something that i think a lot of people go through. the fl wants to move on but having a hard time since they've been spending time together. she likes him but doesn't think ml likes or sees her that way so she tries to keep distance to probably protect her own feelings and also to not burden him or cause any awkwardness, she wants to at least have a good ending of her crush.
in that moment, memories of her grandfather and grandmother's love, his promise to her, and the words of wisdom he once shared all come rushing back. tears rolling down her face. after feeling a little lost for a while, it's as though she suddenly feels her grandfather is right beside her again, warmly reassuring her and guiding her forward.
what i loved about this scene was its quiet simplicity. it made me surprisingly more emotional than i thought it would. the drama lets the close up shots of lwx's soft expressions, the humming melody, the comforting rhythm of ticking from her grandfather's watch to tell the story. it's a beautifully understated scene and a reminder that some of the most powerful moments in storytelling aren't spoken at all—they're simply felt.
i already just adore the football boys. they have a lot of heart. love their natural bond/friendship and how they protect/help each other out.
+ ml's acting felt effortlessly natural from beginning to end. the scene where lxx dances with an imaginary zw was beautifully devastating, i felt his deep yearning and heartache. fl's acting shined in the heavy emotional moments, like when her grandmother passed away and when she was kidnapped (check out the bts). the scene when she slowly put on the red scarf her grandmother had knitted for her and talking to lxx so softly, quietly as if she had already cried out all her tears, yet she is still trying to hold herself together with whatever strength she had left. it's always this kind of quiet restraint, whether it’s the ml or fl, that is the most heartbreaking to me.
+ the chemistry btw the main leads is soft, gentle, and natural. and then there was the crazy tension in ep. 26 🔥🔥 this cdrama kinda feels like a manhua brought to life. many scenes are artistically composed (the bubbles and colorful balloons, the goldfishes in the jar, the abandoned pool with stacked chairs, the lavender garden, the snowing inside). it gives the feeling of a cherished memory - dreamlike, nostalgic, and gently touched with the romance of a fairy tale.
+ definitely the best double proposals i have seen in cdrama. they had filled their proposals with places and memories that shaped their relationship, making the moments feel so authentically zhou wan and lxx.
+ the plot twist in the finale was such a nice surprise! zw falling for lxx first, three years before he fell for her really gives their love story a whole new meaning. zw has liked lxx all this time 😭
+ one of my favorite lines was when lxx said, "zhou wan, even if you become 'bad,' there will always be someone who loves that version of you."
p.s. zw looked gorgeous with her classy feminine style in the adult arc.
+ what a heartwarming ending, it was very fitting for them. just the two of them holding hands and walking together to go eat. her making a silly joke, trying to make him laugh. him saying sorry and then her saying sorry too, they share a kiss. nothing grand or dramatic. the moment felt natural and comfortable, just like their relationship. there was just something beautiful about that.
ml: "she is not someone who can be summed up in a few lines of your article. the kind of life she has experienced, how much she has endured to survive, the choices she made, and how much those choices tormented her. you erased all of that context and turned her wounds into a spectacle... " omg this 😭😭 this reminds me of the way he looked at her while drawing her in the art class. even then, before he knew her story, he saw her beyond the lines and forms and shapes. even back then, before he really fell in love with her, he wanted to try understand and capture the person/humanity behind them.
fl: "from now on, no matter what I say, just remember that all of it means i love you.. so please don’t be sad." before she did what she must to protect him, she made sure the ml knew where her heart stood. he makes her feel safe and she does the same for him. she was not going to let anyone or anything, even herself, to come in btw them. so she asks him to not judge her future words at face value but to understand her love behind them. it's like she is saying when everything becomes difficult, please remember my sincerity, my heart.
no unnecessary misunderstandings, arguments or breakups. they choose to support, protect, care for, and make each other laugh while communicating their love and concern not just during good times but even more so the difficult times. another very healing episode. love it when the fl got so excited about decorating the x-mas tree with the ml - now after everything she finally have a home.
fl was all serious about her not being able to hide her feelings for him at work, how she'll be too obvious. both ml and i were curious to see that cute lovestruck side of her but then bam the moment they enter work she is back in her full boss mode 😂 ml is like grrr i feel cheated...haha
also when ml pats fl's head telling her “hwaiting,” then takes her hand and puts it on his own head so she can pat him back and tell him “hwaiting” too… i mean, come on how cute was that??
rom-com totally back today hehe
at the same time, he takes responsibility for his own feelings, he doesn't put them on her. he takes the time to process and sort them out, and communicates this to her.
ml: bc you looked beautiful. i was very sober and clear in my mind. i just found you beautiful. that's why i kissed you.
he was so honest and straightforward and sincere about it, my heart fluttering watching this and then next moment fl goes i have always been pretty 😂😂 i was so not expecting her to say that. and then ml is like giving her the death stare as if he's like are you serious right now? 🤣🤣
i also wanna say that the thieves duo surprised me, i was completely expecting for the older brother to follow the usual bad tempered, constant yelling trope whenever the younger brother messed up but i am really glad that it went in a different, refreshing direction. instead the older bro either has this almost half amused half defeated look on his face, makes a comment or two in such a quiet, calm way or gets so frustrated he's in tears 🤣
- it seems like ry is feeling more embarrassed than mad. every time she thinks of him she just feel like she's gonna die of embarrassment, wanting to disappear - it's relatable
- her getting mad and expressing it to xhs is the moment that they can move past all the politeness and can finally start to be honest and get to know the real each other
- love the fl's best friend, she's both bad ass and classy.
btw i like how most of the characters are pretty likable, it's so nice. hope it stays that way.