A Little Thing Called First Love (2019)

Sometimes...the remake....is worse

Woof. This was rough. Like I almost dropped it rough. This wasn’t a bad drama per se, I’ve seen far worse, but rough is the aptest word I have for it. I’ve seen quite a few reviews give it very positive feedback and while I think some of it is warranted, I think it overlooks some of the glaring issues this show has that may make someone want to not watch the show.

Okay, so I need to address something first because most of the issues in the show stem from this, it’s kinda like the original sin. This drama is based on the sleeper hit Thai film CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE, and it explains so much of the weird stuff that happens in the second half of the show. Like after I finished the drama and had taken a few days to really take it in, I watched the original movie, and everything that had confused me suddenly made sense.

Story: The story...bad. I love the first half, the part set in high school, it was the best part of this story and character-wise. It was fun and cute, a perfectly fine teen drama, a good adaption of the original text. But when it gets to the college stuff, it gets real weird. Some of the story plots make zero sense cause they are in college, they don’t fit into the setting nor do they do anything for character or relationship growth. Characters and character arcs get destroyed. Product placement galore (this one is bad morally, considering who their target audience is, what they are saying through framing and story, and what exactly they are selling - but as an adult who can do critical thinking I found it funny, do a drinking game to it, take a shot every time Angel Zhao is forced to be like “wow these products are making me prettier and now hot boys like me” while she’s slowly allowed to take off what they used to “uglify” her). Bad writing period. Angel Zhao had the weirdest makeover/character story ever. It was all so goddamn weird to me that a story could fail so spectacularly after a very solid start, especially in terms of messaging. And then I watched the original movie. And then it all made sense. All of it, why Angel Zhao had face paint, fake teeth, and a bad wig the whole time (I don’t even want to touch on the colorism). Why they had Zhao twirl a baton for an overly extended period of time even though, I repeat, she’s in college and a fashion major. This explained why the fashion department was in charge of the school play, I mean theatre production. Why Zhao had to fall into a pool when her feelings get hurt, presumably multiple times cause tv. Why her character has a Cinderella transformation and most of the typical beats of a Cinderella story but falls flat in practically all aspects especially the messaging. It’s all cause it was originally in CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE. If you want to know the major sins of adaption sickness that this suffered, I’ll put it at the end since it really is spoiler heavy. Anyways, the story was bad. Moving on.

Acting/Casting: I actually really liked this cast, they just got a subpar script, especially the secondary female lead. Like her character changed completely during the second half of the show and it was an insult to her acting abilities. I think all of the cast can act, maybe not all of them have a range but none of them were miscast. But this show was not what it wanted to be. And poor Angel Zhao had to show up early to set nearly every day to put her ugly suit on and do what she had to do. Pour one out for her.

Music: It was okay, it’s fine. The thing that really got to me was some of the sound editing choices, Most of them were fine, but some of them really were baffling. If this drama had a better, more cohesive story, the sound design/editing would have been the weakest part.

Rewatch Value: I wouldn’t. It’s not particularly spectacular or life changing, it’s not even the best of its genre. It is at times cute and entertaining but that’s about it. If you watch it once honestly that’s enough. I would recommend watching the original movie instead.

1. The first issue with this show is that it tries, to its detriment, to be like the movie. Now, this wouldn’t be bad per se, but the way in which they employ this it’s quite obvious that it was a part of adaptation sickness where they weren’t able to pinpoint what made the original good so they took the most memorable scenes of the show without consideration of the new thing they have created and also they were trying to pad this out. Like honestly this show would have been better as a 16 to 24 episode show. Also, this show does not consider the setting of the original movie in contrast to what it becomes. The original movie is set in middle school. I think it’s quite obvious why this would make for a rocky transition. That said, this leads to the high school half being the strongest part in terms of story and character. High school isn’t that far off from middle school so moving the setting to there doesn’t make me pause and ask "what was that" and "why is this happening". But when placed in a college, it just comes off weird. Like, the reason why she is in the play even though she’s a fashion major is that her movie counterpart was coerced into the school play cause she’s a middle schooler in the drama club. Angel Zhao falls into a pool since it happens in the original when she gets rejected cause angst. This is why her character has a Cinderella transformation, it happened in the original movie because its main target was preteen/teenage girls who know what this means and may love the fantasy. This is the reason for that stupid extended baton twirling subplot and it makes me so unreasonably mad.

2. The next issue may be baffling considering what I previously wrote but these mad lads tried to do it: the show tries to separate itself from and critique the movie. And it is not done well. [play clown music] Like, the movie is flawed - it exits in a weird logic realm and perpetuates harmful messaging at a group primed to take it in uncritically and internalize it in the worst possible ways in the way only 2000s teen girl media could - but at least it’s coherent. I’m not going to go into detail cause the headache is so not worth it, but a good example is the messaging that you should not change yourself for another person. This is laughable for the next reason that this show bites, and yes this did exist in the movie but more in an “I became pretty cause I wanted to attract a guy but I ended up becoming a fashion designer because of it and maybe love allows us to change in good ways”. The point is that the show tries to pointedly go against this, which is comical considering the framing around Angel Zhao’s transformation as being a good thing and “don’t you want to stop being an uggo and be pretty like Angel Zhao? Buy these products and you too can have hot boys want to be with you.” Maybe they should have just let that one go.

3. Product placement! That’s one of the reasons the transformation takes place and they are by no means subtle about this (it wasn’t as bad as ANGEL BESIDE ME but if you’re like me you too will find it comical), they really want their audience of teenagers to buy these products, some which can potentially be dangerous. It’s crazy that they kind of spit on the source material but then go against everything they are saying. And, like, I wouldn’t have an issue with this if one of the products was not basically skin bleach so you can stop “being ugly” cause you have melanin. Which is an insanely dangerous thing to promote to teenagers, a group that is already insecure about their looks and doesn’t think about the long-lasting effects something like that could have on them.

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" 9.30 in de evening. De time I realized I am in love wid Xiao Miao Miao.”

Basically watched dis drama 4 Lai Gualin as this was de startup vehicle 4 de 17-yr-old in de drama world. De main character develops a full-blown crush on a popular boy in school, but because she has such a shy personality & an appearance that’s—let’s just say she’s not to her fullest potential, de romance stays 1-sided until the boy wakes up and realizes she’s perfect.

If I had a high school senior like our ML, Liang-You-Nian (I’m pretty sure half my school would b just like Miao-Miao falling head over heels 4 him. He’s the whole package. Good-looking, smart, athletic, mature, & most importantly, he’s so nice! Sure, he can be a little awkward @ times& isn't super aware of his feelings (we all know he’s in deep wid Miao Miao long before he realizes). But he’s a kid, he will learn! FL's overnight 360-degree transformation was soo cool , Miao Miao slowly changes over a period of time which makes it feel organic and real. It’s also nice to see that her outward physical transformation reflects her internal transformation

@ first glance, it might seem like a run of the mill first love youth romance. However, de drama is so endearing and sincere that you cannot help but keep watching.

DRAWBACK--The romance between Miao-miao and You-nian was slow. And I do mean slow. I kept getting frustrated at the loads of missed opportunities to advance their romantic relationship and get things more physical.

THING I LOVED_ I will say that their break-up scene at the pool was one of the better break-ups I’ve seen. There’s nothing like a male lead refusing to clear the air and communicate that gets things to bubble up. Miao-miao’s impassioned speech about her feeling insecure about his feelings for her and her just waiting for the other shoe to drop during the entire relationship was stirring. It made total sense, too.

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I started watching this just as a way to practice my Mandarin listening skills, but I ended up really getting into it. I'm usually not a huge fan of Chinese dramas, but I thought this one managed to avoid a lot of the things I usually don't like. For example, even though Miao Miao definitely idolized You Nian while she was in high school, she learned to be more comfortable with him and focused on herself. The only thing I had an issue with was Miao Miao's physical transformation, but I think it could have been worse, so I'll let it slide. If You Nian had only started to like her when she became more attractive, I would definitely take more issue with it.

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" A little thing called first love " was a nice drama, but, towards the ending, they messed it up.

The story was pretty cute, with a nice paced romance. The love triangle was interesting too, with enough intensity to keep things fresh for a while. Although, her friend was a bit clingy and overdoing it with her obsession for her love interest, which was obvious that wouldn't lead her anywhere. Nevertheless, the main character was pretty likable, with a nice, smooth character development that was well handled. However, the final episodes were disappointing. Especially the last one, was a bit open, as they didn't conclude everything nicely.

So, overall, six and a half out of ten.

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Why you should watch this drama.

The actor playing Liang You Nian is called Lai Kuan Lin. The actress is named Zhao Jin Mai who plays Xia Miao Miao. I really love her acting and some of the sweet moments that are included in this drama. This drama mainly focuses on art and their slow development in love. This isn’t the best drama, but this is super low key and adorable. Sometimes, I can’t grasp the acting of the actors and actresses for some reason. They don’t express the emotions in some scenes but that doesn’t mean it ruins everything, rather they are super adorable and laughable.

I’m really looking forward to other school dramas which could peak my interest. This drama shows us many relationships between humans and many dating skills. Of course, although you may hate some actress because of their character role, you have to forgive them because it is a role after all.

This drama has some familiar faces. Actor Lai Kuan Lin who was in wanna one. Xu Haiqiao who played in The Journey of Flower. Chen Ke Fan who played in Ten miles of peach blossom. These people are very unforgettable to me. They are very unique in these dramas and I really love them for their art and passion.

I enjoy the background stories and some of the conflicts the female lead had to face. Honestly, the rewatch value is very high because I feel very comfortable watching this drama, it helps me relax and honestly let’s me see an eye candy. Kuan Lin is a very handsome and unique man with an amazing aura. He looks like he is smiling but can be planning your murder LMAOOO. Gosh, he really scared me with that glare at Wang Yu Tian when they were painting the trucks for the welfare community.

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this show was such a rollercoaster, yet i had so much fun watching it. i started watching it as the description really caught my attention and had me interested as i enjoy shows about youth. the beginning is a bit slow, but i still felt compelled to complete it. it was a beautiful story — i related to miaomiao on a deeper level. she’s timid, doubts her own abilities, easily swayed by other people’s opinions on her life. it was as if i was watching a version of myself through the screen. i really appreciated how they wrote her character. i love the plot lines revolving how children are negatively persuaded to pursue something their parents want for them. as most of the characters had dreams to pursue art, some of their parent's opposed of it as art is perceived as a difficult career to pursue. yet both miaomiao, younian, and their friends show that with hard work and determination, you are able to succeed, even if your parents might not support your decisions. this show touched upon different hardships and trauma many kids undergo such as divorce, single parents, loneliness — these stories were written well and the characters overcame these at their own pace. i appreciated all of their character development.

i really enjoyed watching miaomiao and younian’s relationship developed. the ups and downs, the confusion, frustration — these are normal parts of relationships. the show didn’t portray love as a fairytale, but something you need to fight for, especially with honesty and vulnerability. however, some scenes were frustrating to watch and there were a few plot holes. at a certain point midway watching the show, i felt as if they were running in circles to lengthen episodes. there were a few aspects of younian’s character that could have been written better, but i think they resulted their relationship in a beautiful way and i was pleased with the ending. the youthful and innocent love made my heart warm and i was happy to see them find places in each other’s hearts.

although i did enjoy the show, the reason why i’m not thoroughly pleased was due to the harmful beauty standards that were unnecessarily implemented throughout the show, especially imposed upon xia and miao miao. in the beginning of the show, miao miao was tanned with curly hair and glasses. there are multiple scenes where her friends, family, and peers downgraded her beauty because of that. being tanned was scene as ugly, which is especially harmful for poc. at the end of the show, miao miao eventually had somewhat straight hair and light skin. i didn’t appreciate how ‘beauty’ was portrayed as fair-skinned, having straight hair, and being skinny. the plus sized friend, xia, was constantly teased and belittled to just being the fat girl in her friendships and society in general. her character lacked depth and was solely treated as a punching bag or a peacemaker in miao miao and younian’s relationship. the casual fatphobia and portrayal of fat people was uncomfortable and is extremely harmful for plus-sized women and men. the harmful beauty standards was the deal breaker and is the primary reason why i can’t bring myself to say this show my favorite.

overall, the show was enjoyable, but is hard to watch at times because of the unnecessary commentary. id say give it a try if you’re in for a heartwarming, youthful, exciting show. but beware of how the colorism and fatphobia in most episodes.

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It's about first love

This drama was the remake of Thai film Crazy little thing called love. This is the first drama I watched in Chinese, because of this drama I got interest in Chinese dramas.
I don't know why some people didn't like this drama but this is the story about a shy, timid and introvert girl Xia Miao Miao making herself better because of love(Liang Younian).
This drama is about love can make us be better person, real friendship is for forever, communication is really important and shows us every problem have a solution. The story is well written, the actor/actresses all did a good job and this drama gives you a decent picture of young love without making it too sweet or too romantic. It feels very natural.

The OST was really good. It's definitely worth rewatchable!!!

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Very refreshing

Shows like 2019's A Little Thing Called First Love are what keep me kicking and screaming in the Drama community's cast iron grip. The acting is superb. The leads are superb. The side characters are hilarious. Wang Yi Miao steals the show as the feisty Lin Xia. The show's main theme is a BOP.

The storytelling is refreshing. It's a cute story about how a FL's crush turns into journey of self-improvement and self-discovery.

One thing did irk me, though: I was surprised that after spending the majority of the show watching Xia Miao Miao blossom into a respected artist, in spite of her looks, suddenly she couldn't complete her transformation into a successful careerwoman until she adhered to the suffocating Asian standards of beauty. I think 99% of the show's budget was provided by advertising from those few episodes. Numerous brands of cosmetics bombarded the screen as the FL was transformed... and her skin whitened.

But that didn't ruin the show for me. I'm going into this with an American ethnocentric lens, and this show was primarily developed for teens and young adults living in China. The ML is a pop idol and this show did the job of sustaining his fame so he can join a second pop idol group... Sub-group. There are so many idols they have subgroups now. Good grief.

Regardless, it was a banger show. Give it a watch.

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A great coming of age drama that gave me butterflies from throughout. This drama kind of reminded me of "A Love so Beautiful" but more innocent. I enjoyed that this drama takes you from the moment they first met then took you on the journey of the characters growing up and finding themselves while also developing feelings. The female lead falls first so you get to see the male lead realize his feelings over time and his jealousy is adorable. I also love that you get to see the female lead grow up and change. Both leads chase their passions in college which was also refreshing. The side stories were interesting enough but didn't overly distract you from the main leads. Overall I loved this drama. It was sweet innocent and wholesome.

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First Love Perfectly Portrayed

OMG THIS IS SO GOOD FOR NO REASON. I'm not exactly sure why so many people are so against this drama, but like I said once before, I get easily impressed with dramas so, don't take my review seriously seriously (I guess??). There was a lack of kissing, but honestly they should have just kept it as a high school drama if it was going to be like that intentionally. I get that some of the actors were teens at the time, but in the end the result was okay I guess. I liked the other interactions so I guess the lack in that department can be overlooked, especially if you're someone who doesn't like a of of those kinds of scenes.

Xia Miao Miao is a really impressive female lead. I feel like her character development is very significant, considering the fact her decisions were made based on the development of her character, specifically her confidence in herself and her talent. Liang You Nian is CUTE. Yes, I know I'm always putting down that the male lead is cute, but he really is. I love his interactions with his friends, it just goes to show how well they all act. Lin Kai Tuo is superior, I don't care what anyone says. My favorite line from him was when he said something like "I pissed her off until she exploded, and I confessed my love for her. Then I pissed her off even more". He Xin also had some good character development, she learned how to build herself up, even after everything she got through. Lin Xia is the most relatable character ever. It's so easy to give advice to your friends about love, but it's like love treats you like the plague; you don't get infected, and it wants you to infect others. Wang Yi Chao is a great friend, even though he is a little shameless whenever he was pursuing Fang Xiao Yue. Fang Xiao Yue is actually one of my favorite supporting characters I've seen so far in dramas. She wasn't even interested in the male lead, which is something that rarely happens. I feel like there was a lot of supporting characters, so I'll just stop here.

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This drama taught me to be patient and somehow I finished all 36 episodes!
A little thing called first love centers around Miao Miao who develops a crush on the perfect senior Liang You Nian in high school. Miao Miao tries hard and slowly changes from a classmate, HeXin's friend, to becoming Liang You Nian's confidante and girlfriend. It is a very, very,very slow burn romance as we spend over half the drama watching Miao Miao and Liang You Nian dance around their feelings, drift apart due to misunderstandings before someone finally confesses! Hallelujah! Along the way, the show covers a lot of deep topics and I'm really glad that our two leads have a great support network helping them through it all.

I personally think this drama should have been 20 episodes, there were a lot unnecessary scenes that should have cut, such as : the teacher love-line, the roommate who needed therapy, the Frank character etc. Over time, the poor acting became even more noticeable. Liang You Nian had several moving scenes but unfortunately the acting was stiff and wooden, I couldn't connect to the character at all. In contrast Lin Kai Tou and HeXin were so good, their arc was compelling and we could feel something from their acting. I would have liked Xia to have more depth to her character, she was portrayed as the girl who ate snacks 24/7 and it got boring quickly.
I also want to mention, the very obvious ppl and the styling of Miao Miao in the beginning. I can't understand who approved that but in some scenes she looked like a yellow highlighter.

Overall, I 'd recommend watching this if you are bored or tired and are looking for something which doesn't tax your brain cells.

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I spotted this on Netflix, and thought why not! I'll try watching it, even though it has a lot of episodes!

It is your typical like romantic drama, where like the girl falls in love with the guy and yeah the whole story. But I felt for me anyways, it was a little draggy! - and a lot of misunderstandings that were just dragged on for quite a while as well, which annoyed me a little bit. But for me even if I don't really really like the drama, I actually still watch it, skipping some things, just because I want to see what happens at the end.

I mean the character development of the Main Character Miao-Miao Xia, was really interesting, you literally see her change every few episodes, and she looks soo different as well! But the main guy kinda just looked the same throughout the whole thing. Yeah, I don't think this show was for me! I think it was a little too draggy for me and the storyline went on a bit too long for me. I mean the change of the Main Girl was good, but I think the whole story was a little messy for me.

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