First Romance (2020)

The First Romance that I truly fell for (pun intended)

POST POST SCRIPT: It's been a few months since I last watched this and I've cooled down a bit. I still really like this, mainly because of the chemistry. There is so much chemistry-
POST SCRIPT THAT I SHOVED TO THE BEGGINING OF THIS REVIEW:
The drama is a drama meaning that it does have misunderstandings between characters, but they always handle them quickly (like think one episode or at most two) and maturely. Characters don't hurt those that they love during hard times, they rely on each other. Most of the characters also respect each others privacy.
The parents are bishes.
The end :)

STORY:
Are you looking for a sweet romance where the leads only have eyes for each other? Want chemistry? Want tons of cute moments? Want no crazy drama? Want the leads to have most of the screen time? No super crazy and stupid misunderstandings or break up scenes? Want second leads (cuz these are unavoidable in dramas) that don't really matter? Want reasonable characters? Want heartwarming family moments? Then this drama is for you!
I don't typically watch romances, I like detective, mystery, serial killing, etc. dramas. But this one was just so simple and lovable. My heart beat so fast I thought it would burst every time the leads looked at each other.

ACTING:
If you didn't tell me that these people were actors, I would have thought that they really did truly love each other. The acting is perfect down to the very micromovements of the eyes and lips. The dubbing (which can't be avoided in c-drama) wasn't the best - but surprisingly, the acting was so good that it made up for the voice over completely!

MUSIC:
The music is perfect. It captures the beauty of whimsical first love perfectly. My heart flutters every time at their song choice. The music isn't overly loud or soft, it plays just at the right spot.
The people who produced this drama are masters at playing around with the audience's emotions with different song choices. Also, the piano music that was chosen was amazing! Yes, I get it, the actors all used body doubles... but does that really matter? Its not like they have to learn a whole new skill that should take years just for a drama.

REWATCH VALUE:
I would watch this tens, hundred, thousands of times over and over again if I could (but I don't think my life will be that long LOL).

OVERALL:
Great cast, great story, great script, great message, great feels. The beginning and ending were perfect. The drama talks to its audience quiet literally, they have these sort of "interviews" at the end where different characters talk to viewers about their feelings and its just so amazing all the way through.
The only thing I would change about this is the second leads. The main characters only had eyes for each other and although the second leads were great at acting, it would have been better to not include them. But... you can never ever ever escape second leads in drama world so-
Just watch it. If you don't like it, leave it. If you like it, you've been blessed. MWAH.

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To be honest had higher expectation and currently its not meeting it! Finally like at episode 18 he confesses his love!!! It was driving me nuts that the first 15 episodes, was contemplating on dropping. I mean its only 24 episodes....

Male lead is cute but i find he is kinda slow to relationship and doesnt like to show that he likes the female lead. I mean you can just straight tell her. Female lead , is also very slow to relationships , and to be honesty nothing of her personality really stands out besides the fact that she is super strong and was once a tomboy. Thus causing the male lead to think that the person he had a crush on when he was young was a boy but it was the female lead with short hair. I kinda of find it hard to believe that if that was your crush you dont find out their name and if they are actually a boy or girl? Fast forward They meet again in University , and finally through various occasion he finds out that , she's a girl. She also has liked him for a long time. They just never had the guts to tell each other. The first 16 episodes I would summarize as "I like you but Im not brave enough to tell you face to face, not sure if you like me, miscommunications....

Others:
Second male lead is hot!!! but a playboy character. His character hopefully will change due to the female lead's best friend ( aka second female lead(
THird female is second male lead's cousin and she is a stuck up bitch, who has two faces to her. She's in love with the male lead because they grew up together. They both play piano together. she's initially a bitch but changes for the better.

Fingers crossed it will get better fast !!!!

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Sweet story

This was a cute show without too much angst. However, it took them FOREVER to tell each other they liked each other!(ep 18 when there are only 24 episodes!) Once they admitted their feelings, it was fun to watch them, because they are such a cute couple. And his dimples!! I really like watching shows where the friends are loyal to one another and this show had good examples of that. I felt that, at times, the male lead was too wishy washy about whether he liked her. I would have liked to have had a more visible conclusion for the photographer - I believe he got his happily ever after, but they didn't really show it.

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Reminds me of youth

The title of this drama speaks for the plot. This drama is very relatable, albeit the simple romance and storyline. It reminds me of days when I was still a student as well as the social problems we faced as young adults. For the first time, the plot of a Chinese drama is related to it’s title. Most of the time the title is unrelated to the main bulk of the plot in Chinese dramas.

This 24-episodes- long drama portrays the slow built up in relationships that we all faced when we were young and inexperienced in relationships. Some young audience found it annoying that the main leads took so long to confess to each other. But that’s the reality for most awkward Asians. If we really want that person to be our partner for the rest of our life, we cannot afford rejection. Therefore, with time and confidence, we want to make sure we stand a high chance before we confess. We all are afraid of rejection and we just need time to build that probability of acceptance.

This drama addresses a few social issues we faced such as school/online bullying, self esteem and career pathway. Xiao Xiong’s low-self esteem for her tomboy look in high school reminds me of my high school days, when I had lots of acne. I was really self conscious but there was nothing I could do. I didn’t actually want people to know my acne so I deleted lots of old pictures. Thus, I felt it when xiao Xiong said she was conscious of people knowing her tomboy past. The drama then portrays the feelings that xiao Xiong had when she got bullied. In the dialogue, at the end of that episode, xiao Xiong mentioned that what she felt was what other victims felt as well. Therefore, we should all be cautious of what we say and write online. Both main leads agree that their career path will not feed them, yet they built that courage to achieve their dreams and encourage their parents to let them do what they love. As Asians we all face that problem of doing what our parents want us to do while putting aside our dreams. Tang tang’s stage fright episode teaches us that we should not be conscious of what others see of us. Just believe that you are better than those audience that despises you and bring out that confidence. If you pay attention to those dialogues at the end of each episode, you will see that the producer tries to address these social issues in a subtle manner.

One issue I had was that the female lead was not tomboy enough. She clearly looks like a female and the male lead couldn’t recognise that?!

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Simple, endearing and pure

This drama was a pleasure to watch after some heavy Thai Lakorn and historical C-drama. Such a simple but well-executed plot about first romance, highlighting the struggles of youth and the awkward journey of inexperienced young adults as they try to develop their crushes into relationships. This show made me smile a lot, not only from watching the main couple's relationship evolve but also from watching the heartwarming interactions between family and friends. Additionally, the show delved into some social topics like bullying and self-esteem. To me, it was quite successful in delivering good messages.

Riley Wang as Yan Ke and Wan Peng as Xiong Yi Fan had a unique dynamic that made them so entertaining to watch. Both leads have engaging visuals - attractive but not your typical classic good looks. I first saw Wan Peng in "My Girlfriend is an Alien", and I thought her look was so fitting for a character who was not from this planet. In this show, she portrayed Xiong Yi Fan perfectly, a bumbling female lead who traded her tomboyish ways for a more feminine demeanor. Xiao Xiong was resilient, optimistic, always protective of her friends, and looking out for the underdog. She was also adorably clueless, hence the slow burn romance.

Riley Wang has come a long way since I first watched him in "I Hear You". His acting range has improved, and he's gotten better at emoting effectively. That dimple when he smiles! He was an excellent choice to play Yan Ke, a talented pianist who was smart and handsome. Despite being popular, Yan Ke was not arrogant and instead came across as sensitive and somewhat innocent. I enjoyed watching his attempts to get closer to Xiao Xiong, trying to confess his feelings and deepen their relationship. I shared the poor guy's frustration, and when he and Xiao Xiong finally got together, I practically jumped off my sofa cheering!

It is a mostly young cast, and while they did well, there is room for improvement. Another noteworthy actor is Ken Wu, who played Bai Yu Ze; I would not have guessed that this was his first drama. Unfortunately, as much as I liked his character, his potential romance with Ding Ming failed to capture my interest. I appreciate that there was a happy ending implied for Bai Yu Ze, but I did not see any chemistry between him and Ding Ming. On the other hand, I was rooting for Qi Xiaosong and his love interest. Also, the supporting cast was superb, and they had a great rapport. I loved Xiao Xiong's dad and Yan Ke's mom; both so supportive and loved their children so much!

The main couple's relationship demonstrated how love prevailed even in the most challenging times. Their liking for each other never wavered. When they first crushed on each other in high school to when they met again in college, they remained focused on each other despite other people trying to come into the picture. I liked that the second male and female leads were clearly told from the get-go that they never stood a chance. I also liked that the main couple never lost sight of their own goals and development. There was also a nice story twist when Xiao Xiong and her supposed love rival ended up motivating each other on to better things.

Another high point for me was the OST. The song choices were great, very fitting, and evoked my emotions.

Overall, I recommend this light, sweet rom-com, especially if you are looking for one with little angst where misunderstandings are quickly resolved and the OTP only has eyes for each other.

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Truly beautiful, no unnecessary Drama

I truly loved watching this, it made me feel really cozy and warm.

Actors: I can’t really complain about anyone, they were all good choices for their roles and did a solid good job at playing them. The only thing I’ll maybe say is that sometimes the male Leads dub sounded a little dull in comparison to what his expressions looked like (this might have been enhanced by the fact that the dubs weren’t always in sync - which was a little distracting at times). I absolutely bought the main couples chemistry.

I’ll also use this spot to give a shout out to the OST which was really well chosen (except for the weird English lyrics maybe, but we’re used to that aren’t we).

Plot: this was pure love. No unnecessary Drama, frustration or anything (just what I needed after the last Drama I watched was only that). We follow two people through their (a little unusual) first love. Some parts might have been a little unrealistic but that’s okay, isn’t that what Dramas are for.

Here’s my bit of critique: I felt that sometimes some scenes didn’t quite make sense (somebody finding something out that they had already been told before etc.), but I’ve seen this happen with quite a few smaller productions, it’s not really a big deal.

Then especially at the beginning there where some jumps from past to present etc. Which didn’t really make clear where we’re at right now, so it took me a while to be able to really follow (this didn’t happen in later episodes though, all in all the quality really seemed to increase the further the Drama progressed).

Now this point is merely based on personal preference: since the pre-relationship episodes were quite many, without really that much happening, I personally would have wished for them to be a little shorter, and instead give the side couples a little more screen time, or time to develop their relationship, I would have loved to see more of especially one couple... And also show a little more of the honeymoon phase of the main couple. Also the little Drama that does happen accumulates in one spot, they could have maybe spread that a little, it felt a little much as it was, since the whole story had progressed quite slowly before.

Now it seems like I only have bad things to say, since that part got so long, but honestly if you need something nice, lighthearted, not too long but incredibly sweet watch this one. It won’t kill you with anticipation, frustration or heartbreak, but it’s surely worth the while.
For some reason I even cried a little when it was over...

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Terrible ML

The plot would be lovely if the male lead wasn't so dull at the beginning and toxic later on.
What did he do for the FL like him? he was pretty and so she got a crush, he was good at playing piano so she felt in love. That's it.
they got into college and she did everything for him. LITERALLY EVERY THING.
He sent a note that she never read. That was he single big gesture.
Then he got jealous and acted cold and distant every time she got closer to the second lead. But of course,was totally okay for him to leave her alone when the female second lead ask for it. 🤡
I could go on and on but, this drama isn't worthy my time to keep writing

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Good friendship. Good love

Should you? Would you? Could you?
You should watch this one (YES! )
You would recommend this to others. (YES!)
You could watch this again. (YES)

Ending: Happiness all around

For me, this drama highlights friendship over romance though the main focus is on romance. Every drama will leave you with one main thought and for me, it’s the fact that the strong bonds of friendship never fade over time. I loved the friendship portrayed between the FL and her friend Ding Ming. It’s the kind of strong bond most of us share with our childhood “bestie” and I love the support they give each other. Add to this friendship the character of Qi Xiau Song and this completes the perfect friend circle.
The lead pair are really good - their chemistry, the faith in their love, and the support for each other. They support each other in going after their dreams and this displays a perfect match in them. Their performances are flawless. The Fl is such a natural actress. Her goofiness is too cute. The ML too is a natural. Love his expressions and the gentleness that he portrays.
The second lead pair have a chemistry that sizzles every time they are on screen. I would actually look forward to their scenes.
All in all, it’s a good drama to watch without much of the angst that you see in the other ones. Yes, it’s a feel-good one but with a lesson to tell - Perseverance towards one's goal coupled with passion and good support will never allow you to fail.

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Get ready to feel warm and fuzzy with this one!

Just a little FYI: This dramas description is incorrect. When it says “it’s her turn to be smitten at first sight” upon seeing the male lead in college, that’s not true. Both leads were “smitten” with each other since they first met in high school. They just never confessed because of some misunderstandings.

It starts out pretty funny and cute. Since both main leads have never been in a relationship or confessed to anyone, they are very awkward around each other. Their fumbling bumbling attempts to get close to each other are both comical and endearing. But this drama is about much more than a college romance. It delves into some much deeper subjects.

The male lead is as loyal as they come. He never waivers in his convictions in regards to the girl he likes or his goals in life. I like that even though he’s very smart, handsome and popular, he’s not full of himself. In fact, he comes across as being a little innocent and unsure of himself. And the way he always had the female leads back and never doubted her even when some of her close friends did was so touching.

The female lead is optimistic, courageous, and very protective of those who are weak. Being an athlete she’s stronger than most and she uses her strength and courage to shield her friends from bullies. She becomes known as the “boss” by many friends who admire these endearing qualities. These admirable traits also draws a lot of people to her, including the two most popular best looking guys in her college.

Unfortunately, this makes a lot of girls very jealous so the female lead becomes the target of a different kind of bullying she’s not used to. The bullying isn’t physical but emotional. I liked how they portrayed and handled the subject of bullying. It isn’t just about beating up someone for their lunch money. Bullying can come in many forms like making up really awful rumors about someone or making fun of someone’s appearance or their preferences in life. Bullying can make a person so miserable that they want to give up on life. After a lot of suffering the female lead finally stands up to the bullies and gives an outstanding speech that touched my heart. And the way her friends had her back was so sweet.

This drama also explores the topic of which path to take in life and what happens when the path you’ve always known you’d follow suddenly disappears. I like the female leads thoughts on the matter. She said she occasionally thinks about that original path she was going to take and what scenery she might have missed, but those things are no longer important. That’s because love and dreams will always point you towards the correct path.

There’s not much I didn’t like about this drama. But if I were to complain it would be about the editing. For example, episode 12 ends with the group of friends standing in the street staring up at a meteor shower while on a trip to the beach. The next episode starts abruptly with the main leads on the rooftop of the school looking anxious. Then it does a flashback to a week earlier (also at the school). There’s no conclusion as to how the beach trip ended. I felt lost and confused. I even went back to see if I accidentally skipped an episode. Then it happens again in episode 18. That episode ends with the main leads talking to each other at the bus stop. So when episode 19 starts with the male lead blow drying the female leads hair at his apartment and her acting like she had no choice but to stay at his place (he sleeps on the couch of course) I’m confused again. Did I miss something? What lead to this happening? But no reason is given as to why her hair was wet (a shower maybe?) or why she was suddenly back at his house. Again I checked to make sure I hadn’t accidentally missed an episode. The choppy editing wasn’t bad and didn’t detract from the drama. It was just a little disconcerting.

Despite these flaws it was a great drama. This is a touching coming of age romcom that explores some deeper subjects yet still manages to remain light, refreshing and sweet. There are misunderstandings and some angst but nothing is taken too far and things are resolved fairly quickly. And the romance is full of chemistry. There’s lots of kisses, cuddles, tons of flirting, and skinship, especially in the last few episodes. For those who like the lighter sweeter dramas full of romance with lots of character growth, this ones for you.

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Well worth yourr time!

I'll try being as brief as possible.

Before I get into the review, I'd like to say..dont judge the show too shown.

Getting straight to the point, this show was, unexpectedly, prettty amazing. I'll be honest,I almost thought of dropping it when I first started watching it because of the beginning few eps. The ones who've watched it already might know that the first 1-2 episodes felt kinda rushed and pretty confused. And yes I agree they could've done a slightly better job starting the show.

But believe me when I say this..,sticking with it till the end will definitely be the best decision you'll make. The show just got better and better every passing episode. The plot got more detailed and all my questions started getting answered with time. The romance might feel a bit slow for some of you but it's certainly well written and ngl it couldn't have been done better.
Both the leads are frickkkin adorable ( the FL especially hehe).
Defo my fav lead couple so far among all the romance dramas I've watched till date.
All in all, everything connected so well by the end... the ending was definitely my fav part of the show.

Summing it all up, it's a job well done.
Believe me when I say, watch this asap. ;)

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