First Time Love You, Its Not Too Late (2022)

A little frustrating, but held out

The premise of First Love is a pretty typical C-drama rom-com romance. I like that it sets in college, although the plot and dynamics is more high school behavior.

I love Tian Xi Wei from New Life Begins. The big eyes and puffy cheeks is very trendy now with leading female actors in Chinese dramas. You can’t help but smile when you look at her. I also have to say, she did carry the show. As a lot of reviewers commented, the ML, Wang Xing Yue is good eye candy, plenty of shirt off scenes, but oh boy he’s a stiff actor. His dubbing also needs work, he delivers his lines, in a very dry monotone voice. I hope he improves over time, because his face is pretty to look at.

I liked the first half of the show because it was kind of cute banter. She pretends to go after the ML so people won’t think she still has a crush on her friend anymore. It’s totally cute and the ML doesn’t go against this which makes the show even cuter.

Of course, a simple storyline can’t carry throughout the show right? The FL is very adamant that she doesn’t want to be in a relationship and it’s the main focus of the storyline for a huge chunk of the drama. Over time you get a little frustrated and annoyed and just simply tired.

I did stuck with it because there was always that feeling… maybe in the next episode they get together finally? I did enjoy it again once the tension eased and the angst went away. I do enjoy the cute parts of the show. I didn’t really like watching everyone floundering on expressing his and her feelings because everyone did.

The second couple was cute, I enjoyed watching the out-going ballerina going after the nerdy doctor. I totally tuned out with the third couple, it wasn’t enough chemistry for me.

Overall, it’s an okay rom-com. Watch it for the actors or just background noise.

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Math and Medicine in love

Normally i don't write reviews but for this i just have to, this cdrama is everything.
The Main couple has such a good and natural feeling chemistry that it made my heart flutter a few times and omg is the male lead cute. Their acting and chemistry made me forget that the two actors actually have a uncommen age difference with her being almost 5 years older than him. The support cast is also a great casting and character writing.

What i also love is that our female lead isn't a tipical cdrama lead, she's brave knows herself and is actually not that dumb. I really like her, she also has some good communication skills when it comes to their relationship, even though both are kind of blind in that manner.

A big plus for this series is also their kisses, normally it's something i hate in cdramas, those kisses are normally just the male lead pressing his lips on the female lead an her opening her eyes in surprise. But with those two there are actually good kisses.

I also like that they didn't do the whole, one parent is against them trope, i especially love her parents.

Overall i really love this show, and i recommend it for everyone needing something light hearted and cute.
I'm definitely going to rewatch soon.

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TIan Xi Wei CRUSHES this

Watched this as one of my first forays into Chinese rom coms. I was at first annoyed because I thought they were making another actress look like a little adorable Yue Shen. Then I quickly forgot about the similarities and enjoyed the show. After having watched a crap load of Asian rom coms since, I've realized that the actress playing the female lead is brilliant! She's HILARIOUS. Her comedic timing and physical comedy is beautiful. If she's ad libbing some of these scenes, she's a natural genius. If she was directed, she nailed it. Watching the standoffish ML melt into a puddle pretty quickly without her being aware of it is pretty cute. A couple scenes are cringeworthy cute. The reviewer who said the ML could have been replaced by a Japanese robot is fairly accurate. But he does have some cute moments, playing off the FL. Not having watched the actor in anything else, I can't tell if it's his acting or the direction. Edit: now that I think about it, some of the best lines are when he realizes he likes her but is feeling insecure. He had me busting out laughing in some parts (esp swimming pool scenes) and it's hard to make me laugh. So, maybe he's just being directed to be stiff.

Yes, it has all the places you can fast forward if you don't enjoy the silly background filler plots. Watch it for the FL.

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What an ending....

Watch this for my MDL Watch Challenge 2023, but turn out quite fun journey. Unfortunately they leave such an ending...

My journey with this drama you could say quite up & down. The first half quite boring & nothing too much, just your usual youth drama. The second half, when the romance start rolling, the story quite interesting. But once again such unfortunate ending...

What I like:
+ Ren Chu (RC) is realy interesting. He is a nerd, but when it comes to Lu Wan Wan (WW), he's quite attentive. He doen't know how to please a girl, that's ok now we have internet that we can research anything on it. Haha... How many our nerdy guy that we can say has that initiatives... But unfortunately he met the 'dumn' WW. She has no clue that that top guy like her even with all the clue given by RC. And that actually make this story quite funny to watch.
+ The chemistry between RC & WW quite good. I can sense their vibes....
+ The friendship. All the closest friend of RC & WW is really good friends. Of course I'm talking about 2 other couple, Meng Xi Bai (XB) - Wang Xin Yu (XY) & Fan Yi - Gu Qiao
+ Not all the problem revolve around our main lead. I really like when the put the light into the relationship of XB & XY. Yeah when the couple together, it shouldn't only put light into one person & what XY did really only put everything about XB in her first priority. And I really like how XB put XY priority aside from himself, even at first he kinda hurt XY.
+ The good communication between RC & WW. They leave no space for misunderstanding between them...

What I don't too like:
- ML surrounded by nerdy guy. Yeah I know sometimes we choose the friend that looked a like with us. But for me tleven his friend is just too much similar with him...
- The ML is the smartest guy in his environment... Haha... Yeah the show just show us everyone around RC is dumber than him....
- The ending. Hesitate to put it here or not. But i think I gonna skip on the big spoiler & only scream that we need another ep / at least special ep to wrap this series

Overall this fluffy & cute youth drama with such disappointment ending...

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Started strong but quickly fell downhill !

I had high hopes for this drama because I like the female actress. She is always very cheery and happy. It was pretty good in the beginning and then dragged on and on. I was surprise that the second leads kissed before the main, but they both had their first kiss by episode 5, but soon after that the plot was a disappointment.

Female lead is cute and what seems to have a sunshine personality, but in fact she is super self conscious about her studies in med. She only choose med as her major because the male friend she likes wants to become a doctor. On the day that she is finally going to confess, her male friend tells the female lead that he actually has been in secret relationship with her best friend. She is sad and drinks, of course being drunk she make a vow to court the best looking guy in school , which happens to the the male lead. The male lead is your standard , cold, intelligent guy, who basis is science and data.

The male lead eventually falls in love with the female lead, but the female lead thinks she is not matched to the male lead. She views herself as inferior.

whats annoying is that the male lead likes her in the beginning but at that time , she didnt like him. Ok! finally she figures out that she likes him, but she is too self concious. After she tries to confess, he tries to confess and basically its a cat a mouse chase,. By ep 20 they are finally together but their romance has lost all sizzle for me.

Keep in mind this drama is only 24 episodes long! This isnt fluff , its more like frustration that they arent together earlier and keep on missing the time to be together.

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Drama is good due mainly to the FL and her acting

The plot is simple but relevant especially to the teenagers or high-schooler/college students . The screenplay is quite fair although most negative is on the character/role and performance of the ML; the other cast (except for the best friend of the FL) are understandable in their irrelivance, if not so-so performance. What negates the FL's performance, which to me she was able to play her role quite well, impressively; and to the whole drama in general - is the performance (screen writer's fault may be) of the ML. Yes, he is supposed to be genius and excellent in almost all aspect. And academic geniuses usually are dumb in love matters - the ML character/role is seemingly appropriate. But he is too robotic - in actuation, gesture, thinking, speaking and all. Being robotic (literally in the drama) - can be understandable; being a genius and therefore dumb in love issues - is understandable too. What is not tolerable is his being too naive and clueless or unthinking on love issues. He is suppose to be smart, scientific, research wizard, calculating, analytical, etc - yet he seems to have failed in those areas when applied in love. He is even sometimes uncaring towards the FL - in her predicaments or pressing concerns as he is too preoccupied with his own concerns on how to win the FL (neglecting the FL's concerns even in front of or beside her). In fact, a lot of his actions or utterances - are unnecessary or irrelevant. He is not really handsome (face); and has lean or skeleton like body. The producers could have chosen a better one. The ML has some lapses or outbursts (seemingly unreasonable) towards the FL - yet he failed to acknowledge those lapses, thus raising the issue about his accountability (a very important aspect in being a good person). perhaps it was director's or screenwriter's fault. But for a chinese drama to fail to address accountability (personal, in this case) issue - is a red flag as non-chinese watchers still think about the virtue of Confucianism. So, non-accountability seems un-Confucian; a letdown.

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Young Love & Growth Filled Drama

A really great drama that's lighthearted, youthful, fun, and at the same time showed a lot of growth and maturity from all the characters and couple pairings.

The storyline is great, albeit, just a tad dragging in some aspects. But I really appreciate how the series isn't angst, love triangle, and lovers quarrel filled. I love how it's mostly about how these group of college students learned and growed with each other. How they helped each other. And how it portrayed a couple willing to work through a long distance relationship and a relationship that's both from very time consuming fields. I guess in a way it also showed work-life balance and how it's more achievable when both partners communicate. Plus, it really helps in appreciating the series more when the pairings and characters aren't jealous and obsessed with their partners. It's a breather to watch shows that are more growth focus than anything else.

Speaking of growth, Ren Chu's growth is the most admirable in the series. It wasn't an overnight thing that took place. But it was really gradual and was happening all throughout the series. From a detach and unfeeling person, to a person who learned to understand social cues and non verbal cues of the people around him, especially his partner. Plus, how he is as a partner is really just top notch. He really went above and beyond- up to point of making his partners own soymilk and being a practice dummy for her studies- and this was even before they became a couple!

As I did mention above, there are some scenes from the main couple that could've been skipped on and there are some pairings that needed more screentime. From the three couple pairings, admittedly I was most invested with the second leads pairing of Xi Bai and Xin Yu. I really loved their dynamics and their characters. The stoic and serious doctor and the fun and loud ballerina. I would've loved to see more of them and how they both learn to compromise with each other. Their story is really great and I just wished to see more of them and how they are as a more learned couple. Especially since it seems that Xin Yu's Mom already knows about her love for Xi Bai; it would be a great touch if they were introduced.

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