Once Young (2023)

Strong focus on romance with likable characters; Underrated because ML is not handsome.

It’s quite unfortunate/unfair that “Once and Forever” is rated so low and mainly due to viewers not liking the male lead, Zhang Yi Shan, and think he’s ugly. He might be miscast but it’s only because I think he looks too old for the part, not because he’s not handsome enough. Having said that, his acting is great and has great chemistry with Guan Xiao Tong. They are so fun as best friends (love their bickering), while also super adorable when they finally become a couple. I never wanted Xie Qiao (FL) to be with Yang Cheng. Yang Cheng is such a bland character and Fan Cheng Cheng’s acting is not good either. I have rooted for Qin Chuan (ML) since the first episode. It hurts me when I see him hurting.

I also like all the characters. There’s only one annoying girl in the earlier episodes where her obsessive pursuit of ML annoys me. Other than that, there are many likable and layered characters. The 4 roomies are different yet get along so well. It’s rare to see a college drama where there's no jealousy or argument between them. I enjoy seeing them grow from innocent 18-year-olds, to independent strong women. Their journeys are different but each is given just enough time for me to care about. Let’s not forget the sassy sister, Qin Qian. She’s so badass! She loves so passionately.

This drama has a very strong focus on romance, especially during the college days. If you are not a romance lover, this might not be as fun. There are multiple couples and their romantic journeys are all very different. I wish the kisses were better though. I enjoy each of them and really hope they all have their happy-ever-after. But alas, this is not a fairytale and I can’t say more without spoiling it. But we have two Mr. Green Flags in this drama. Qin Chuan might not be perfect, but he’s the perfect boyfriend. His love for Xie Qiao never wavers and is always there for her. His love is demonstrated through actions. He Xiao Zhou is more of a fairytale prince. He’s gentle and kind, studious and hardworking, considerate and never complains about life's hardships. He’s too good to be true. Additionally, I’ve seen Ye Xiao Wei in other dramas before but this is the one I find most attractive. Maybe because he’s a walking green flag.

The acting is pretty good in this drama, except for Fang Cheng Cheng who is less experienced than others. I really enjoy the acting of Zhang Yi Shan (as ML), Guan Xiao Tong (as FL), Li Xi Rui (as sassy big sis) and Jiang Pei Yao (as rich girl). I am also glad to see all actors use their own voices and there’s live recording. The Beijing accent (I think) is quite pronounced especially for Zhang Yi Shan and Guan Xiao Tong, but this all just adds more flavor to the drama as it’s set in Beijing.

But this drama is not without its fault. I think it’s just a little too long at 35 episodes. Not much really happened during the college days aside from romances. The plot dragged a little in the middle but the pace is picked back up in the last 5-8 episodes. There’s quite a lot of English spoken in this drama. I give props to the actors for practicing their lines and their pronunciation is actually better than I expected. However, when the drama was set in England and no British accent was to be heard, I thought everything happened in New York. Others have also commented that US bills were used when the characters were supposed to be in Canada. There are a lot of inconsistencies when it comes to what happened outside of China. There’s also a surprising amount of subtle and non-subtle Chinese pride/propaganda in this drama. It’s not as much as other military or rescue dramas, but more than I expected in a retro, slice-of-life drama. I also find it hard to tell time. During college days, the drama will show us the year and month. But mid-way through the drama, it becomes harder to tell if months or years have passed. I really need to pay attention to the dialogs.

Overall, this is not a bad drama. It really deserves a much higher rating than 7.0. If you like the friends-to-lovers trope, or are a romance lover, this is a decent watch. But nothing really too exciting happens and there isn’t any plot twist. Though the male lead is not handsome, the ladies are all pretty and the other guys aren’t bad! Lastly, I didn’t watch the prequel nor read the novel.



Completed: 12/22/2023 - Review #384

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Slow burner with multiple couples

Its one of those, you either like it or don't. There are 3 or 4 main couples imo. Storyline is an overall 7. Its a youth drama spanning over 10years or so.

The main couple friends to lovers: the male lead long suffering always loved FL. Loved his sincerity. He had to match up with a good looking rich 2ML. I enjoyed the couples journey. The romance was there but emphasis on ML working hard to achieve goals in a time e-commerce is taking over.

The other couple: i really enjoyed the "poor" girl becoming an actress. She really potrayed the temptations and downfall of fame really well ( although it was alcohol abuse, i think we can read between the lines what it was really meant to represent). Her ending was tragic but her performance throughout sad/ good times captures the viewer. Her unwavering fan😭

3rd/4th couples: one is unrequited love and the other is death do us apart.

Slow burner fun to watch. I like FL so it kept me going. Not used to ML as he is more on the cute side for a ML. Still adorable 🥰

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