This drama has both its pro's and it's cons. The cons being the loops in the plot, the "unnecessary" drama and dare I say, the acting from the main leads who can sometimes come off as either annoying or "what is that face you're making!?" (Though I have to say I have to give Tseng Pets her cred for rocking that ugly bowlcut and old grandma getup/toe socks throughout the entire series while still acting out Xiao Xi in a way that was realistic and fun.)
The story starts off really well and builds nicely towards the romance. For all the romantic drama lovers, if you are like you me, (a crazy fool for cute romantic skinship and words) you will definitely enjoy the romance that takes off here. While the beginning and the romance makes for the beginnings of a good drama, the downfall comes near the end where you may or may not feel content with the ending.
While this drama doesn't exactly hit right out of the park, it is still a good watch and I'd recommend this show to anyone who is looking for something to watch. There is humor, romance and action all in one. This drama also shows the growth of Ming Xiao Xi as she tries to find her place in a new environment and adjust to the blissfulness and sourness of love. This isn't the type of drama you would take seriously, seeing as there are many similarities here with Boys Over Flowers, however what makes this series stands out is the main heroine Ming Xiao Xi and her great resilience to overcome different obstacles that occurs in her life and through her special relationship with the 3 princes of Gaung Yu.
Overall I give this drama an 8.0 for making me the crazy drama fangirl I am for skipping study sessions just to watch each episode as it was released. The music was excellent here (The Intro is hella addicting and the ending music is my most favorite song from this OST [Sung by Pets Tseng]]) and this is a drama I can say for certain you will want to re-watch.
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The story is quite like BOF, but very different. This drama was, well, quite a ride. I cried a few times, and I started laughing hysterically at some points. It has great funny moments and humor. Every single actor in this drama is extremely attractive, and with this being a drama with many idols in it (Sam/Liu Bing, Evan/Jiang Che), they were good actors.
Towards the end, there was quite a change in the mood and different feel to it. It starts out very innocent and fluffy, and while it does keep that tone throughout the series, but it grows to have much more action and it leads into a whole more thrill-type revenge plot, I would say. Not too much, though. Just enough where it has you on the edge of your seat as your watching it, "Whats gonna happen next?" There's much unnecessary drama, revenge, and lots of dramatic crying around the second half, but the drama is still really lovable.
If you were just here for the second male lead arc of the story, there isn't much of one. The second lead arc starts very, very late. It's also short. But, even the side characters are absolutely great. You'll most likely absolutely hate the rivals (Very frustrating and unreasonable), but some characters are just for comic relief, and they're all extremely lovable and unique. Most of the main characters have some sort of interesting link to each other, the 'Three Princes' having quite complicated relationships with some of what we could call 'antagonists' of the series.
The music, there's not too much to remember other than the opening song by SpeXial (Which Liu Bing and Jiang Che are in!), and the ending song by Pets Tseng, "Season of Rain". Seasons of Rain plays in the drama occasionally, and other than that, the OST is a bit forgettable.
My favorite part of this series was what we could call the unnecessary drama and revenge, even if some people don't enjoy that. The funny scenes were unforgettable, though. This drama is great, and it definitely deserves a 9/10 in my opinion. Even if you feel like stopping this drama, definitely try finishing it!
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The pros of this drama is that the premise is unique and Pets Tseng is a great actress-loved her martial arts scenes. Her crying scenes were also really well-done. Sam Lin is handsome but his acting skills definitely need some polishing. Sometimes during the scenes where he is supposed to be sad and crying, I feel like he is holding back a smile. I usually never get second male lead syndrome but by episode 25 I was rooting for Che (Evan Ma) even though I knew he wouldn't get Xiao Xi. I don't know.. at first I really liked Liu Bing (Sam Lin) but in the end, I just wanted Che and Xiao Xi to get together.
The revenge scheme in Moon River is intense and I don't know if I liked it because it wasn't fitting to the overall tone of the drama. Half the drama had a hilarious and fluffy tone and then sudden left turn into angst and revenge. In short, it made sense plot-wise to lead to the revenge part, but in terms of tone-wise, it was a huge shift. Personally, I didn't like that but that differs for each person. In terms of the other characters, you have your usual array of vindictive antagonists, pining second leads, and comedic relief. I have to point out Lucy; she didn't have a lot of scenes but she was so adorable and a honorable mention to Rei Xi- he was funny.
Music was good-fitting for the scenes and not overplayed. Great OST overall.
I don't think I would re-watch this. However, I would recommend this if you like school romances, revenge schemes, a strong female lead. I don't regret watching this, it's just I'm disappointed with the way the last 10 episodes or so played out since the beginning of this drama was just so darn entertaining. (8/8)
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Good main character development but OTT acting, full of one-sided loves, too many side plots.
Watching “Moon River” in 2024 is quite an experience. There are so many tropes and over-the-top acting that seems to be quite common with Taiwanese comedies. This drama also gives me a very Meteor Garden/F4 kinda feel. I have to remind myself to curb my frustrations and be understanding. Having said that, this could be a fun drama if you don’t mind over-the-top and loud acting.Note: I could not find the complete version of ep 25. YouTube and sites-that-shall-not-be-named only have the first 15 minutes. Because of that, I missed the most important non-romance plot/reveal and have to gather info based on flashbacks and conversations in the last couple episodes.
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What I Like:
Xiao Xi (FL) Character development - If I have to overlook the portrayal of her over-the-top personality and how loud she is, I quite enjoy how she was introduced as an inexperienced villager in the big city. She was never portrayed as someone you could take advantage of physically or emotionally, never too naive or dumb. She just doesn’t know. Oftentimes, she realizes the real intentions of others. As her romantic relationship with Liu Bing (ML) grows and matures, you can see her grow and mature as well. In the end, she’s his support system and is there for him no matter how many times he pushes her away.
Liu Bing (ML) Character development - Similarly with Xiao Xi, we see how Liu Bing grows from an arrogant, super smart, King of the school, to someone who needs to learn to start from the bottom and learn the real (poor) way of life. As he matures, there’s a very distinct part of his personality that never leaves him - his stubbornness and unwillingness to express how he truly feels to protect. It could be frustrating to watch as a viewer, but I am also glad that in a way, he is still the same Liu Bing in ep 1. I hate to see someone who changes for the better (?) and loses who they truly are in the beginning.
Headmistress Dong - I have a girl crush on her! She’s so cool. I love Grace Ko’s elegance and voice. It’s too bad her screen time is limited to the beginning episodes. I wanted to see more of her.
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What I have Mixed Feelings:
Main Romance - The romance between Xiao Xi and Liu Bing is central to the whole drama. It was fun to watch them from bickering, to living together, falling in love, and experience challenges together. What I dislike the most is the introduction of misunderstandings, evil deeds from Sha Sha and then add CoCo to the mix. That seems a little too much to try to cause troubles to their relationship. Luckily, despite all that, they both stay strong and their love never wavers. Additionally, aside from a few cute (and somewhat cringey) things that Liu Bing did for Xiao Xi during the initial courtship, he doesn’t seem to have done much as a boyfriend. He’s lucky his girlfriend is sweet and understanding. I actually would have loved to see more of their cute relationship, skinship and kisses, but unfortunately, the drama is too busy with many extra side plots. Their kisses are not great and not very romantic either (except for the last one).
Feng Jiang Che (2ML) - In other dramas, he would be classify as the perfect boyfriend, Mr. Green Flag. But in this drama, I find him to be so perfect that it’s a little annoying. I also think that the acting of Evan Ma might have contributed to my very slight annoyance. If Che has expressed his feelings for Xiao Xi early on, he might have a fighting chance. He is sweet, caring, considerate and always there for Xiao Xi in action and in words. Her happiness is the most important thing to him. He would be a perfect main lead in another drama.
Pacing - The pacing is quite good in the first ⅓ of the drama. There are a lot of fun events happening at school and in their lives as the characters are introduced. Then in the ⅔ of the drama, the pace slows down considerably and we have repetitive one-sided romances which go nowhere and repetitive animosity and sabotage to FL and the main romance. The drama picks up the speed in the last 5 episodes, but because the focus has switched to a revenge plot, it doesn’t feel quite right either.
OST - There are only two songs and they are SUPER overplayed. The opening theme by SpeXial is fun and upbeat. The ending theme by Pets Tseng is romantic and beautiful. As much as I love both songs and have added them to my Spotify playlist, they are just played way too often.
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What I Don’t Like:
One-sided Love - The romances in this drama are quite something. I think I counted 6 STUBBORN one-sided, unrequited loves. That’s way too many! I don’t care for a few of them and wish they did not take up so much screen time, and then the drama could be a few episodes shorter.
Annoying side characters - 2FL Sha Sha’s animosity and obsession towards Liu Bing lasted too long for my taste. Her bitchiness started from ep 2 all the way till almost the end. I also hated Xiao Xi’s two roommates in the beginning. They are selfish and frustrating and I fast forwarded a few of their scenes. Luckily, they got a little better later on. Those girls at school are just as annoying. They also have too much screen time. These scenes and ‘evil’ acts become very repetitive and boring.
Flashbacks and Inner Monologues - Usually you will see inner monologues from the lead characters once in a while. But not this drama. It seems like every single character has them. This contributes to a lot of telling instead of acting. Additionally, I also notice many flashbacks that don’t seem to serve a purpose of advancing the plot. These flashbacks are not short either. But I do have to say, thanks to the flashback, I was able to get a little info on what I missed in ep 25 when I couldn’t figure out what was the important info on ML’s father.
Villain - This villain acts as the almighty God. He can control and destroy everything. For all that he’s done to everyone throughout the drama, his ending is half-assed and way too simple.
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Overall, this is an OK drama. I might have enjoyed this more if I watched it in 2015. I personally have a love/hate relationship with Taiwanese comedies, so in a way, it’s not my cup of tea. I wasn’t quite sure how to rate this drama until I wrote this review and list what I like/don’t like. It’s not horrible but it’s not a drama I would re-watch, not even clips of certain scenes.
Completed: 2/17/2024 - Review #403
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fun but flawed reverse harem with martial artist as the female lead
Basic Story: Ming Xiao Xi is a martial artist from a rural village who gets accepted to Guang Yu university. On her first day, Xiao Xi has a negative encounter with the Elite Union, a clique/club of popular kids at the school led by three boys (Mu Liu Bing, Feng Che, Dong Hao Nan) and one girl (Sha Sha) who happen to be children of powerful leaders in the community. The principal is eager to have Xiao Xi there to shake up the entitled elitism within the school, while the entrenched elite want to kick her out. The Elite Union initially vows to kick her out, but somewhere along the way two of the boys (Mu Liu Bing and Feng Che) begin to like Xiao Xi, and drama ensues. Be prepared for multiple overlapping love triangles and misunderstandings.Overall Impression: The drama started out fun and funny, if predictable. Other reviews have compared the drama to Meteor Garden, the Heirs, and Boys Over Flowers, and there are definitely strong similarities in the beginning. Xiao Xi arrives with a truly appalling bowl haircut, mismatched clothing, and an affinity for toe socks, which when combined with her martial arts skills and her earnest but bumbling personality truly help her stick out like a sore thumb in the beginning. The early episodes do a great job of slowly showcasing how the two male leads begin to like her in spite of themselves. There is a story arc where multiple characters go back to Xiao Xi's village over vacation/break that is also fun and engaging, as you get to see how well loved Xiao Xi is in her hometown and some truly ludicrous competition between the boys for Xiao Xi's affections. However, the drama ultimately runs too long, and the storyline gets very draggy and inconsistent. There is a lot of unnecessary jealousy, including a multiple episode arc where Xiao Xi's initial personality as a self-confident martial artist disappears and she turns into a weepy, clingy, jealous unhappy mess that never seems to successfully use martial arts again. I can also never tell exactly what Xiao Xi is studying at university and if there is any career goal at the end, as the series focuses more on the odd jobs she is constantly having to take to pay bills and the tension that the need for money introduces into her relationships. There are also a number of random characters introduced towards the end that I struggled to parse and connect with, as they appeared to have come into the picture purely for convenience (or maybe some kind of cameo idol appearance / fan service I am unaware of). I struggled to finish watching and by the end of the 30-episode series was no longer rooting for the main male lead because the relationship felt too emotionally unhealthy and I'm tired of that dynamic being rewarded in these dramas.
Likes:
-Initially plucky heroine that ultimately rocks her bowlcut and toe socks to the bitter end (with only three instances where she "glams up"/changes the hair)
-Lots of eye candy
-Large supporting cast (side characters Coco and Lan Di deserve notable mentions as supporting characters that are abruptly and randomly introduced in the latter half of the drama. While their backstories are never really adequately explained and they ultimately also exit abruptly, their characters are definitely more interesting than the one-note villains and they've got more nuance and color than some of the supporting characters that appear to exist solely to feed love triangles)
Dislikes
-Unhealthy jealousy, excessive amount of one-sided loves, and emotionally abusive relationships. The relationship involving the male character who is most respectful of boundaries, communicates best with the female lead, and understands her best is ultimately not the one that succeeds. By contrast, the relationship with the male lead who initially uses the female lead to taunt another character, forces a kiss on her, forces himself into her dorm room, and later lies to her / pushes her away in the name of pursuing revenge is the one that succeeds. The older I get, the less patience I have for this type of romantic storyline. (Side note: The only reverse harem that I feel does a good job of having FL end up in the relationship that will be best for HER is "Go Ho's Starry Night" and I will happily recommend that one instead, though it is rocking an office vibe and an older FL)
-Heroine's personality is written very inconsistently and it is difficult to root for her in the middle of the drama
-Meandering plot. This drama could have told a much tighter and effective story if it was 18-20 episodes instead of 30.
Overall Verdict: Fluffy filler if you're in the mood for a school-based reverse harem that shares many of the strengths and weaknesses of Meteor Garden/Boys Over Flowers, but not particularly memorable or rewatchable.
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It has a basic setting like Boys over Flowers, but it is quite different in many aspects.
Here are the points, that stood out to me:
1) The romance is very light for the first half or so, and gets more attention later on, but it never develops to such a single focused matter like in Korean dramas. That is due to
2) the wide range off different relationships that are here depicted. Although we have a main couple, it is more of an emotional network that is portrayed throughout the series
3) The main female character is naive, but to a believable extent, and she shows her martail arts skills throughout the series - which is nice, since many dramas portray strong femal characters as badass in the first two or so episodes and then let them transform to more tamed ones.
4) The mood stays light, until the last 5 episodes or so. Even then, when death happens at last, it is not as heavy as it is usually.
Aaaahhh... all in all - this drama has it ALL, but in a much more lighthearted way.
I really enjoyed it, especially the funny scenes.
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The drama is kind of cheesy to me,, which is the down side for me, it was very cringe-worthy to watch the actors and actresses act. I think the two SpeXial members can't act - well majority of Spexial members can't act and the female antagonist was hard to watch as well - Hannah was adorable though - dumb but at least she knew was right and wrong.. kind of. LOL I think the only watchable actor/actress was Pets Tseng.
The OST was great, I really loved Pets Tseng's "Season of Rain" ^_^ Is my bias coming out? LOL This drama made me love Pets Tseng a lot more as a singer and an actress. Of course it also made me love Lin Sam just because he is handsome. xD
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At first it oddly felt familiar and then I realized this is an unofficial remake of Hana Yori Dango/BOF. And I think this can be the best version in characters wise. The female lead isn't *cough* annoying/overacting*cough* and has a unique and strong personality and the male lead isn't evil, even at first he was not that bad. The dialogues -most of the time- were mature, the lines were not so cheesy. Side characters that are supposed to be"bad" were a little unnecessary tho (mostly skipped that plotting evil kinda scenes tbh). Also, the story got a little dragged towards the end, due to the episode numbers but I still liked it overall. And it is not a high school but a university story and I loved this as a change too!
Their story was quite good and the female lead was one of the most unique characters ever! She was so unique yet likable, yet not over the top. Xiao Xi can even be my fave female lead ever!
I hope you can give this drama a chance!
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