✨
Not gonna lie, at first im here for jun. But when i watch the series, i really didn't remember jun for a while. He's so good at it that i just see lingchao, not jun whom i know. It also has good actors and actresses here!Even the story is well made, i love it when lingchao being shy yet straight forward, when xiaotu being silly, or when juanjuan being representative of fangirls lol. This series also have lots of life lesson which most of us can relate. The comedy also lol there's so many funny and silly momen in it. Anyway, thank u for the other actors, actresses and staff for your hard work. It's the best!! And i recommend u to watch it ✨ i guarantee that u won't regret it. Luv ✨❤️
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Perfect for Romance Lovers - Light and fluffy drama with a few good kisses and natural hugs.
It’s hard not to compare “Exclusive Fairytale” to “When I Fly Towards You” since both dramas star the same main actress, Zhang Miao Yi, came out in 2023, and are both coming-of-age, high school to adulthood dramas. I think “Exclusive Fairytale” is a more rom-com-like drama with more (not a lot) adult jokes and content. “When I Fly Towards You” is more slice-of-life, sweet and pure teen drama. Both dramas have very sweet and green flag MLs , are very likable and low-stress, and are perfect for when you are looking for something light and sweet.Main actress, Zhang Miao Yi, has a very similar role in both dramas, and she’s very good at it. It’s a talent to be able to play such a teenage character and not be annoyingly cute or naive. She’s perfect for the role. I really enjoy her dynamic with male lead, Ling Chao. They are childhood friends and have been together since they are little. Friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite tropes and I really enjoy their bickering but caring friendship, to sweet and fluffy romance. However, I did find the transition from friends to lovers a little fast. I would have liked to see more of Ling Chao’s perspective during his year away from Xiao Tu, and how he really couldn’t wait for Xiao Tu to join him. Nevertheless, their chemistry is great with lots of kisses and skinship. For us romance lovers, we are blessed with some pretty good kissing and very natural hugging and hand holding.
It’s my first time watching Jun in a drama, and I have no idea who he is. Apparently he’s a Korean pop idol, but has quite an acting resume before he turned an idol. I find his acting a little stiff in the beginning for the drama, but he seems to have gradually relaxed and performed much better later on. I couldn’t tell, but was he the pop idol that Jiang Juan Juan chases? I can’t tell from the posters since I don’t follow Jun’s kpop life. I think Jun’s fans would be happy with his performance, and he looks quite handsome both as a teen and as an adult. Well, we also had a fan service shower scene and him acting ‘sexy’ (it was hilarious). Not sure if fans like how enthusiastic he was with his kisses. LOL
The secondary romance is lovely as well. These friends have enough screen time to tell their story but not too much that they take the spotlight away from the leads. Jiang Juan Juan is a typical secondary female lead in a teen drama. She’s the best friend that we all want in life. Jia Si Wen is the adorkable and nerdy student who falls for the outgoing girl. I quite like the portrayal of their romance and their challenges. I find the drama handles their relationship quite maturely and realistically compared to other secondary romance in a youth drama.
This is also a lovely drama with super adorable and supportive parents. Both sets of parents have been friends and want them to get together (except FL’s dad with some reservations). They reminded me of the family dynamic in “Go Ahead” of how close the two dads were in the drama, and how close the parents are in this drama. ML’s mom is more impatient and can’t help but try to teach Ling Chao how to pursue Xiao Tu. The rest of the supporting cast is lovely as well. We have a very sweet high school teacher who is smart enough to use jokes and sarcasm in communicating with the kids. The college dorm mates are fun and also don’t take up too much of the screen time. They are there to advance the plot. I appreciate the drama in not force-feeding us side romance plots in pairing up all the dorm mates with a love interest.
The pacing for this 24-episode drama is pretty good. However, at one point, I do wish the high school days would be over soon. Those days were OK but I wanted to move faster so that I can see how romance develops in college. We all know nothing can really happen in high school, and there aren’t enough ‘romantic’ scenes between the leads. There are only a few side glances from the male lead and not quite enough romantic undertones for me. Besides the usual high school stuff, this part of the drama is predictable.
I would recommend this drama if you are looking for something with no angst, no misunderstanding, sweet and fluffy with a decent amount of skinship. There aren’t any big plot twists but sometimes, you just need something comforting to watch. This is exactly the type of drama I need at this moment, and I have a very enjoyable time watching it.
Other Random Observations:
1. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a ML kneeled down, let FL sit on his knee while he wipes poop off her shoe!
2. I love the final high school montage with a quick reminder of the high school scenes. The monologue is a little cringey though.
3. The coordinates of the heart-shaped island is so cute and romantic. Reminds me of the math formula in “Put Your Head on My Shoulder”.
4. The flashback of ML’s “surgery” is unexpected in a youth drama and hilarious!
5. Was that the high school teachers and their kids watching the fireworks?
Completed: 9/23/2023 - Review #358
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Fluff ´n Grabs dipped in sugar
Not sure about the fairytale but this is one of those really easy to watch dramas with mostly lovable characters and very few annoying elements, showing us friendships, students actually studying as well as a bunch of odd gestures as well as a slight cautionary tale about being nice to the opposite sex as some people may let that slight show of kindness become an obsession.This is very much a character and fluff driven drama with a fun , playful, bickering main couple and a second couple that more or less could have stolen the show all together if not for some odd twists in their story. Still a second couple to be remembered both for the characters with in it on their own and as a couple I just loved those two characters and would gladly watch a drama with those two (and their story) as a main plot.
The fl girl best friend is fangirl done right, she has all the best lines in this drama and offers us some top of the line dances and honest interactions with teachers.
The grown ups in this drama are not the type to make me feel ashamed to be a grown up but rather lovable and fun to watch, both teachers and parents.
Our male lead has a slight obsession with pinning the female lead up against stuff as well as is fluent in wrist grab, but if you an overlook that he is actually kind of decent and even respectful towards the female lead and as far as i can recall he does not force himself on her but rather waits and checks in despite writs grabs and all. He is also the typical cold male god but it would not be a c-drama without one of those.
Our female lead is actually pretty smart, fun and kind she is human and the type who can win anybody's heart with just one smile. She is loyal to her friends and just an all round lovely character.
The story my not offer much new but the characters are lovely and so is the bingeabilaty making me up the score to an 8,5
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Miaoyi Fan Girls Unite
A simple youth drama that had me routing for them all - even Xu LingLong. If you're in the market to watch a youth drama this is one that should definitely be on your list. Its not complex and every character from students to adults are all charming. If you're a fan of Seventeen's Wen Jun you will not be disappointed! The amount of scenes in this show which had be gobsmacked is endless- If you make it to the last few episodes you're in for a treat!After wifty, I became a fan of Miaoyi and when I saw she was in a drama with Jun I got pretty excited. A lot of people are jealous of her because she gets to act with Jun but I'm the opposite- I'm jealous OF jun. Miaoyi always portrays her characters well as she is a strong actor and her characters can never been seen as annoying. Xiao Tu is a perfect character for her as she can represent her diverse personality. The lead's chemistry is no joke either they look very comfortable and the acting is somewhat natural. Jun did quite a good job compared to how others are commenting on his acting. I would say he did a pretty standard job for a young actor and he was able to show a character that some experienced actors would absolutely butcher. I think the casting and acting was spot on.
The side characters are all well written and acted out but I do wish they spent more time on their development since a lot of them got only a few scenes, which made me feel incomplete for their storylines. Like seeing more of the business side and Ling Chao's roommates as their scenes were sprinkled in with less focus and when any information come up about them I was a little bit confused due to lack of context.
The story feels natural and refreshing as all youth dramas should be. Nothing felt too rushed but at times there would be jumps in the timeline that would confuse me etc at the start of a new episode they're suddenly 1-2 years ahead without any notice. Though it was nothing too major. Overall, the story was very bright all the characters had their charms and no one really stood out in the wrong way. I love when stories incorporate not just the boy being chased but the girl too. I will say at some point whenever a guy appeared around Xiao Tu I hoped it wouldn't turn into a 'crush' situation because they milked that but then again I'd prefer it to be that way round.
To summarise, Miaoyi strikes again. An easy watch with tons of fun and laughter along the way, enjoy!
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An entertaining watch
I was very excited for this drama to air but unfortunately it came right after two amazing dramas that set the expectations too high (Hidden Love, When I fly towards you). It was definitely enjoyable to watch and never felt boring, although it felt like the second lead couple made me more excited since they had their own character development, which actually wasn't too big either. The main characters have known each other their whole lives and so their relationship basically never goes through any challenges. This was the thing that made me most disappointed, the challenges that they had were because of random people who had crushes on them. Therefore, I think the story itself is very monotonous. But overall, I did really enjoy Zhang Miao yi's silly acting and the supporting cast's personalities. ??Was this review helpful to you?
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SO GOOD!!! I have to admit I wasn't sure about this drama. I knew nothing about the ML and k-pop artist turned actor made me hesitant, but I had no idea he was a child actor with lots of acting chops. I love FL's work and the two of them together brought us a SUPER sweet and endearing drama that on these rare occasions made me think 24 episodes was just too short. Youth dramas are hard to do especially with so many out there. But this one did it well with a very down to earth FL who is completely herself... sweet, adorable, sassy, smart, and not going to be bullied by anyone. ML played his part perfectly because who doesn't like a guy whose good looking, smart, loyal, confident with a little bit of green, and unwavering till the end. I loved the chemistry between the ML and FL and the progression from high school to college and then adulthood and little bit more. The parents in the drama were hilarious. They brought about an element of comedy and unexpected that I think only seasoned actors can do. The side characters were all likeable too and fun to watch a drama where friends supported each other, even the ones that aren't your instant best friends.
Overall, I loved this. It left me happy yet so sad when it was over.
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really good
I was watching this just for jun since I'm a carat but I realised how much I love the other actors aswell. I enjoyed this so much it was funny and fun to watch definitely reccomend if you want something that will make you happy. I would also definitely rewatch this in the future since I enjoyed every single episode and no episode bored me they were all interesting in the most simple way.I also loved the way the relationships developed and I felt like it wasn't rushed and we got to see as much development as possible anyways all I wanted to say was I Loved this thank youWas this review helpful to you?
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the cutest drama ever
for me, miaoyi is the perfect girl for this kind of story, it has everything you need, cuteness, love, character development and great friendship. The only thing that is still a question for me is how the desk mate of the FL just disappeared. He was in love with her and as soon as high school finished he just vanished. except this overall, this drama is what I love! Junhui is perfect in his Male lead role and the chemistry between the two leads is so cute. I can’t wait to finish the drama and tell you more about it. Also, the other thing that bother me is that I’ve watched When I fly towards you last month and I can’t unsee Su Zaizai while watching this cutie Zhang MiaoyiWas this review helpful to you?
A fun and heartwarming story
Not only did this drama showcase a story of pure romantic love, it also highlighted the importance of forgiveness, friendship, and family. The story having a slow progress isn't actually a bad thing! As mentioned, the story presented various aspects of life that matter as much as having a romantic experience.The actors were generally good--with most effectively presenting various emotions that the audience could feel. The FL and ML were great at showing their contrasting yet balanced personalities. Their chemistry is great in my opinion!
However, I would just like to comment about the music not having much impact for me personally. They were quite good since I checked them on a music streaming platform, but sadly, I feel like the editors put only short clips in the show.
Overall, EFT is still a great show! It is for those who enjoy a light, fun, and cute story. Personally, I would love to rewatch it and I'm actually hoping that there will be a sequel. Congrats to the cast and staff who worked hard to make this happen!
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The perfect drama to watch and forget about the world a little
I really enjoyed this cdrama, more than I expected. I thought it was going to be a low budget and a cheap drama, but it was really decent and touching.First, I enjoyed how the timeline of their relationship and life stages developed.
I thought it was cool that everything was natural. The FL started being a naive and childish little girl to become an incredible woman, but without losing her essence. I really liked that the character has matured, but who she is has just evolved.
The ML is ok. He is quiet and reserved, respectful, the typical clingy and super passionate boyfriend of these youth Cdramas, so, after all, nothing much different or special about him. Jun's performance was average, but he did well and surprise me in the marriage proposal scene. it was really emotional for me.
I thought the FL actress stole the show for her, this girl is super charismatic, lol.
The chemistry was great, I LOVED them together, not to mention the kisses and their evolution starting to have an interest in each other, the sexuality and desires topics were approached as something natural and not seen as taboo here.
Overall, "Exclusive Fairy Tale" was a great drama, but I really think that topics like harassment could be better addressed and seriously treated, and, of course, I would like to see a little more of their development at work.
I also missed finally having an inclusion of an LGBTQIA+ character in cdramas, as, in my opinion, Yin Zi Han is. It's pretty obvious that he spent his entire high school - and probably life, lol - being obsessed over a guy for no reason, and that fixation wasn't just a desire to prove himself better. Tbh, even the cdrama made a joke out of it, with the fact that he and Ling Chao they are "a match made by heaven".
Despite those things, i really enjoyed the experience and have nothing to complain about it. It's a good drama, I liked it a lot.
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A fluffy lovestory
I was not sure how this story would be but it had friends to lovers trope and I am a sucker for that trope so dived head-on into the series. I was surprised at how engaging the content was. There's no toxicity in the series lemme tell you which was like woahhh for cdrama lol but it was one clean, wholesome and loveable series.Acting wise the FL did a great job and so did ML. Sometimes I did feel ML's acting could be improved but he wasn't a block of ice. The friends of both FL and ML were hilarious and had good comic timings so where FL's parents.
Story was fluffy and yeah at times at the end i was a bit confused with time skips but it was okay. However, I got major nostalgia watching the school days oh how I miss mine and the fact that I will never experience a love like theirs ? that is from childhood to adulthood I think only lucky ones get this and I am not someone who is lucky in any way?
Anyway guysss go ahead because Ling Chao is a walking GREEN flag y'all. He raised standards. Also who doesn't love a wholesome story without much drama and mad SMLs trying to force leads apart. This is so gooood ??
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A perfect representation of youth
I have finally finished watching all the eps ?? but now im left with a bittersweet feeling. a beautiful happy ending. i miss them all already even the annoying chracters *cough*linglong*cough*. i enjoyed witnessing their friendship and their journey of youth. the main couple's relationship develop pretty natural and straightforward. not much conflict which i like. the 2nd couple are hella cute too.i wish it was a little longer tho since it covers from they're in highschool until they're adult so it felt like 24 eps arent enough to cover all that. there are times where it felt a little fast-paced.
anyway, overall i really enjoyed watching it. all the actors did an amazing job. the drama was light and fun.
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