Pretty Typical High School Drama

I’ve watched several High School dramas and can say that this one doesn’t stand out from the rest. The premise is setup the same as most of the others….The FL, who has poor grades, is in love with the ML who is one of top students, aloof , most desired and doesn’t know much about love. I wouldn’t really consider this a romance drama as this was only a small subset of the overall story. There were only bits and pieces of romance sprinkled in. In my opinion, it’s more of a coming of age story that deals with school, social pressure, family, friends, etc.

The good

As expected, Ding Yuxi did a really good job as He Xinliang and stood out from the rest of the cast. I wouldn’t say everyone’s acting was great but some did a decent job. The overall show had a feel good story with a happy ending which is good to see in CDramas.

The bad

Everyone’s acting wasn’t great. 2nd FL who plays her sister was very stale and monotonous throughout. She had no real expressions. The same goes for the 2nd ML who was her original love interest. He also didn’t do well with expressions. There are more to name but will switch focus…too many misunderstandings throughout this drama and situations that seemed very exaggerated to me. The main conflict between the 3 girls seemed way too childish even for high schoolers and could have been resolved if they just all talked it out. Also, there was a sense of predictability in this drama and it’s probably because it’s a basic plot that is somewhat recycled. Next, the ending seemed rushed. Would have been nice to see more before the time jump on the final episode to answer some questions to things and situations that were mentioned. Lastly, the OST wasn’t much to write home about. Songs didn’t really stand out.

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A little disappointed in this drama but decent enough

I started this drama in 2022 not knowing anything about it or not knowing any of the cast as I was new to CDramas in 2022. I finally finished this drama in July of 2023 after having watched a lot of CDramas and several other shows by the 2 leads. Why did it take me so long to finish? I initially stopped watching this drama after about 6 or 7 episodes in the beginning because it wasn’t keeping my attention but decided to revisit it for the 2 leads.

The Story:

Despite the odd English Title for the drama, I was originally intrigued by the plot and thought this would be a great Wuxia and hopefully without a lot of the CDrama tropes we see in romance Wuxias with the strange falls leading to random kisses and the predictable love triangles. It was nice to see that they didn’t focus so much on those aspects in this drama although we may have seen 1 or 2 instances of the long stares and the awkward contact between MLs and FLs. It’s still not a romance heavy drama and focused the main story on the self discovery journey of the 2 leads.

One downfall to this drama is there were a lot of throw away episodes that made this drama longer than it needed to be. It could have been cut down to 24 to 30 episodes max. There were some side plots that dragged out too long and could have been summed up in 1 or 2 episodes but dragged out over 5 to 6 at times. Also episodes 29-34 were filler episodes as they seem to try to play more on the unnecessary romantic stories they forced on the MLs, leading to drawn out boring conversations. I enjoy a good romance, just was done poorly in this one. I did not like the ending of the final episode, it just sort left things hanging.

The characters

This is a loaded topic because you have some good with some bad. I’ll start with the female characters… none were that interesting.

Tie Xinlan was sort of just there. She was in the way most of the time and didn’t add any real value to the overall plot. Not much character growth from her as she didn’t add much in the beginning either. Her acting was also subpar…not much in the way of facial expressions.

Su Ying… I don’t even know why they added her character at the end of the show. Though she was supposed to be the match of Jiang Xiaoyu, their “love” story was very forced and the 2 actors had 0 love chemistry. Their back and forth banter was okay but still unconvincing. I adore Liang Jie in The Eternal Love series as the connection she had with the ML in there is worth a watch.

For the male characters…

Jiang Xiaoyu carried this story as his character was fun and charismatic. So much character growth from him while still staying true to himself. Chen Zheyuan did an amazing acting job here. He embodied the character well with his troubles expressions and lightheartedness throughout the show.

Hua Wuque only showed slight character growth and Hu Yitian seems to take on a lot of emotionless character roles. I thought he could have done better than hat was betrayed because he didn’t portray many emotions here. I can compare his character to Wang Yibo’s character, Lan Zhan in the untamed but although dull and tough, he expressed so many emotions without having many spoken lines.

Production/OST

Overall production value was average. Some camera shots were grainy and blurry at times but had decent fight scenes and CGI. The OST did not stand out.

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Lost me

This story lost me. Started out pretty decent with the translation vs translation app battle but it went down hill fairly quickly.

First off, this show being about top notch translations was odd. The quotes that were read at the beginning of each episode was very laughable. There were lots of grammar errors and it was poorly spoken English. I study Mandarin Chinese so I can understand that learning a language completely opposite your own is a challenge. I know my pronunciation isn’t perfect but I also don’t market myself to be the best either. Wish they could have found stronger speakers to make it more believable.

I left this show for a couple of weeks thinking I would eventually come back to it but that definitely did not happen.

Honestly, the characters in this show were forgettable and rather dull. The main conflict between the couples seemed like child’s play. It was also unnecessarily drawn out and came off very shallow. I’d like to think that most adult relationships have deeper rooted problems that keep them apart and don’t drag out over so many years but maybe that’s in my bubble. Their issue didn’t seem like it was enough for a 36 episode show. This show could’ve been wrapped up in 20 or less episodes.

Basic production value, forgettable OST, and mediocre acting. Make your own judgement and watch for yourself.

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Just no…

This show is for children. Episodes are only about 6 minutes long and after watching halfway, I had to call it quits. Everyone in here was acting like they were 8 year olds. So many unnecessary scenes that made no sense as to why grown 28+ year olds would be doing them. The comedy is just corny to the point of cringe. Cringe factor was turned up to 1000. Disappointing because the plot seemed interesting for a quick watch. If you like whiney women, grown adults who act like they are 5, people who do things that make no sense because of inexperience in relationships, then this is the show for you.

Wouldn’t recommend.

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Underwhelming

I didn’t find this drama very interesting after watching 10 episodes. The story is very underwhelming, though some may enjoy it. This one is not for me and I can’t continue it.

The Good

I watched it for the cast since they are all decent actors. This has a good line up that will definitely attract fans. The actors are also not dubbed which has been a positive to see in CDrama lately.

The Bad

It has a weak, predictable plot. This xuanhuan is definitely not a new idea. I quite enjoy xinxia’s and xuanhuan’s but there hasn’t been many good ones in recent years as most just recycle the same things and this one has done the same thing. Character arcs are cliche. They are bland and have no complexity to them. You have the peculiar girl with a bad reputation, the cold main guy who’s hiding his identity, the 2 friends, one who isn’t trustworthy and quick to betray and the other who just serves as comedic relief. The enemies are also cliche. I’m also finding this to be very boring per episode. Not much is happening in most of the episodes I’ve seen and I notice they are only filmed in 2 locations, FL’s house and market. It has an average production quality with bad sound quality. CGI isn’t that great either. Sometimes the lighting is overdone to play up romantic scenes. Also, the few times something did occur and when it seemed the story was progressing, it wasn’t that exciting due to its predictability and they seem to backtrack to nothing happening again. I also find the humor to be misplaced. There is so much dry and odd humor in here but doesn’t seem to balance well with serious moments. Wasn’t very funny either. Wasn’t feeling the constant background music in every scene. It became distracting especially when most of it didn’t fit the type of drama it is. Lastly, the acting didn’t stand out. Didn’t evoke any emotions good or bad as I watched. It was hard to connect with any of the characters.

Watch for yourself and make your own judgement. It’s watchable but not one I’d continue.

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This one isn’t for me.

I was really excited to see this drama as I’m a XZ fan and have enjoyed his dramas. He’s a great actor. I’m not as familiar with Ren Min but I think she was doing a decent job in this show and I will definitely check out more of her work. In the end, I still dropped this after 11 episodes.

The good

All the cast members did an amazing job. I’ve seen most of the main/supporting leads in other projects so I had no doubts here. The production value is really high with really great visuals. Their costumes are typical for Xianxia but they fit pretty well here too.

The bad

The story is dragging for me. I find myself falling asleep during each episode and if that happens, then the drama isn’t strong enough to hold my attention. It’s one of those slow build up type of shows which if done well, can work. I just didn’t quite like it with this drama. The story also has a typical Xianxia feel from what I’ve seen so far. It’s a love to hate story that we typically see with Xianxia following a forbidden love/doom. Lots of CDrama tropes with the way they set up the camera shot for the romantic scenes and you will find this is most Xianxias. Story doesn’t stand out from the others.

If you are okay with these things then definitely check it out or if you are a fan of the leads, then watch. Make your own judgement on the show.

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Typical

This one is not it for me. I’ve read other’s reviews about who had more screen time and chemistry and have different reasons as to why I dropped this drama. None of that mattered to me.

The Good

Costumes are nice with bold coloring. The production is decent and on the higher end. All star cast which makes the acting salvageable but that’s where it ends.

The Bad

Weak plot! This is an overused story with typical character arcs: overzealous empress, paranoid emperor, weak crown prince, lovesick 2nd ML and our main leads who continue to drag out misunderstandings. It lacks any real depth. People just plotting and vying for the throne but with no real twists and turns. Not once have I felt an “aha” moment and thought, I didn’t see that coming. The first story arc actually would have made for a more interesting story with the rise and fall of the main couple. Other weak points in this story was the acting. I’m a fan of both main leads and both have much stronger dramas. They were unconvincing in this one. Both had pretty flat affect and not once did either one of them move me or make me feel any sort of connection to their cause and/or any of their emotional scenes. Action scenes were very bland and done poorly but I overlooked it as I don’t see this as much of a Wuxia. Lastly, I found the story boring and constantly losing my attention. It didn’t make me excited to continue watching. Most of the conversations between the main leads lacked real substance and could have easily been cleared up if they took the time to hear each other. They could be a power couple and really shake things up in this second life, more so than they are now since they know the outcome but they are too busy bickering every five minutes on unimportant things. Makes for a very uninteresting story. This drama doesn’t even need to be 40 episodes as they can cut out a lot of unnecessary filler and tell a more crisp story of love and redemption.

If you are fan of the cast then watch for yourself and make your own judgement. This one just doesn’t stand out from the rest.

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Beautiful Story

This was a beautiful watch and one I’d highly recommend. The plot was a creative time travel drama and loved how they connected all the dots without leaving holes in the plot. The acting was done very well from each of the major players of the story. I was very drawn in and invested in the highs and lows of this drama as it’s very relatable since everyone wants to be accepted, loved and to find their happy ending. The OST was beautiful and paired well with the drama. The production and visuals were pretty standard but doesn’t take away from the show.

I know there is also a remake Korean version that I’ve also seen bits of and there are some minor differences but overall either story is a recommended watch.

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Decent Story

I’m not sure why this one is tagged as Romance because it’s more melodrama and about family relationships. I enjoyed some aspects of the story, though it’s not an original idea.

The Good

The acting was done well for the characters they were given. Wouldn’t say the acting was profound but came off believable enough, though some acting was done better than others. I would say using seasoned actors helped the overall story. I appreciated the writers for allowing the Shanghainese to come through in the story to show more authenticity for the family. I also appreciated that our FL had a very strong personality because too many times in CDramas, the FL is usually nonsensical and strays too far from reality. The story with the FL and her mother was done well, though a lot of people probably dislike this since the mother came off terrible. Her character arch is believable in many families as I also have female relatives similar to her. The father was also believable as a passive individual who doesn’t like confrontation. I appreciated the presentation of the family, this part of the story sits close with reality and was the highlight of the show.

The Bad

Predictable story with some parts reaching. There were some unbelievable elements within the story such as our FL not knowing she was constantly surrounded by rich people that were close to her (ex boyfriend/grandma) and that no matter what, her life would be okay financially because she had 3 individuals in her life that could “save” her. Hey it’s drama land so it’s somewhat expected. The plot and characters are not an original idea and have been showcased on numerous other CDramas. I find most CDrama careers within stories focus on the same type of career arch’s as their setup: law enforcement, hotel management, financial sector, doctors, lawyers, esports gamer and always a CEO, director or some sort of leader as a main character. Because displaying the “it” person as a teacher, caregiver, restaurant worker, personal trainer, news anchor, labor worker, regular corporate worker, etc seems to be forbidden or not appealing enough in CDramaland. Sometimes these stories have too much emphasis on the career setup and not enough on the rest of their life setup and doesn’t allow for the story to stand out. You have the same character arch’s in the workplace setup: domineering leader, jealous coworker, and non serious assistant. Chemistry between ML and FL was a little lacking (though I blame the writing for not focusing enough on it) but points for allowing their relationship to build over time.

Overall it’s a decent enough one time watch.

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Very Odd Show

I was excited about this show because I am a fan of Bai Lu, Wang He Di, and Wei Zhe Ming but this show was very odd and disappointing. The overall story was all over the place and I don't think the best actors in the world could save this script.

I felt like most of the casting was out of place. They didn't seem to fit the roles or the characters were just poorly written. There were many instances in the show where the characters just didn't lack consistency with the type of character they were portrayed as and thus their dialogue, choices and actions didn't make logical sense. As an example, Bai Lu's character is this very smart, highly intutive, highly praised woman who is a top Financial Journalist, though she didn't seem to read situations very well. I guess they had to make her character very romantically awkward for the sake of the typical domineering CEO C-Drama trope.

Production wise, this show wasn't the best. Nothing to write home about with the visuals, music, lighting, or costumes. Pretty basic, definitely not a high budget but that doesn't always make or break a show.

For me, this show didn't have a clear direction on the plot and seems like a bunch of random things were just happening to the point where there wasn't any clear character building, growth, story growth, etc. I was at a point of just watching it to watch them because I'm a fan.

I would not rewatch this show nor recommend it to others. If you are fan of the main cast, check it out at your own discretion.

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Some things I couldn’t get past

Okay so I had to drop this drama for a couple of reasons. The story in itself is okay, a typical coming of age school CDrama. The usual tropes. Mediocre acting, odd chemistry between the 2 main leads and weird colorism that seems to be plagued in CDramas.

What was a little strange to me were their ages and the cousin arc. I never usually comment on the real actors and actresses ages because I typically don’t care but when the entire main cast are minors except one then it starts to feel a little weird. Wang Run Ze who plays Lin Kai Tuo is very much in his late 20s while the rest of the other 3 cast were 15-17 at this time. To top it off, they added him as a love interest and to have a crush as well. They couldn’t get another underage person to be in that role… second thing that didn’t sit well was the cousin arc. Chai Wei who plays He Xin is the cousin of our main male lead and she was in love with Lin Kai Tuo who happens to be the step brother of our main male lead. Whether it’s biological or by law, they are still cousins and it’s a little odd to push that arc on a tv show. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

I think the drama may be better suited for teenagers than adults.

Overall, I ended up dropping the drama halfway through since it really didn’t stand out to me either way and couldn’t really get past some of those things. If it doesn’t bother you, then check it out for yourself.

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Just Why

A lot of these revenge CDrama stories are steeped so far from reality, even for a fictional fantasy story, that I’m not sure why these writers keep recycling and remaking them.

The Good

Li Jiu Lin is eye candy. That’s about it.

The Bad

Promotes Stockholm Syndrome as a lot of these CDramas do. Sometimes it’s nice to get dramas where the victim who was abused, killed or almost killed by their former lover actually gets revenge on that person. I can overlook it when it’s a misunderstanding. I ended up skipping to the end of this story after 17 episodes to watch the final 4 and see how it would end. Very predictable. There is no reason that the writer should force a person to continue to love a person who physically harms them to the point of death and they still end up being with them. Super weird and pretty sad. It’s a scary thing when you think about it and I hope any woman or man watching these dramas know that these sort of relationships are not okay and should not be your reality. Oh and the acting wasn’t great and overall story was bland.

I think I’ve watched too many of these types of CDramas over the years that I’m starting to view the writers of these type of little fictional stories as odd. Sometimes I can over look these things and accept for what it is if the story is stronger but I couldn’t with this one. I might need to change genres and avoid revenge plots, xianxias, etc where this type of thing happens frequently. Disappointing because I love CDramas but they seem to be getting worse by the year.

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