Nikolean
This review may contain spoilers
True to the premise- a heartwarming slice of life with supernatural twist!
I heard a lot of good reviews about this drama despite the actors all being relatively new and also very young, and how mature they tackled certain themes that I felt like I had to watch it! It took a really long while for the English subs to all be posted on YouTube but it was worth the wait! I think there could have been so much done better but the themes they tackled made up for it!
STORY
The story was pretty true to its premise, Wu Jinghao travels to the past to save Han Fei, and realizes a lot more along the way. Despite mentally being "ten years older" than the rest of the students, he realized that there was still a lot more to learn and complexities in character relationships that he had missed without his future maturity and experiences. The story tackled mature themes such as suicide and depression and I think it went about it very well. They didn't romanticize and rather made it seem very real for the characters. Wu Jinghao's bullying had affected how he acted to others and he even regrets it so much ten years later- and when he goes back, realizes everything he missed. If we think about it, the characters seemed really upbeat but HF and WJH hid their own insecurities and even their thoughts of suicide. The story is one of healing, and there are people that didn't like how it got stuck in "slice of life" before suddenly picking up at the end, but for me, that part was very important to really show how important everyday conversations became, and made their time more meaningful. They could have drama everywhere, but what they really needed was healing, and the story showcased that very well. That being said, I also think the pacing could have improved- for example- the whole Nannan thing holding us in suspense- I almost forgot about WJH's dreams of what happened in the first timeline. If they tightened up the pacing more, it would have made the story more engaging.
Now in terms of the time-traveling aspect- we didn't really get to see so much about the rules- but it was definitely used as a handy plot device- and not overused. While it could have been explained a little more- we do know that all four of the major players had a hand in it- Bai Zhenyu's song playing (which could even be him reminiscing), and Nannan, WJH and HF traveling to the past. It was a clever little thing to add there- that Nannan also came from the future. I also wish they could have made the "WJH getting run over" more...plot essential? Like he literally kind of just stood there as if asking to be run over. However, in general, the time-traveling was dealt with very well and it wasn't "too convenient", nor did it become too irrelevant. Just a personal thing, but I wish they were able to tie up loose ends with Zhenyu and Nannan, but it sets up enough for there to be a potential season.
CAST
For me, the cast was a little green and the acting was what threw me off at times. I think Li Yi Nan definitely stood out the most, but there was still a lot that could be improved. No characters were reduced to caricatures- except maybe Nannan's mother- and Sabrina Zhuang did alright, but definitely has a lot to work on. It was a little off-putting to see all of them play 28 year olds- especially HF. In terms of Asians- we all look younger than our age already- so I had to work a little harder on my suspension of disbelief here hahaha. That being said, they all brought smiles to my faces and I think these rookie actors will have a bright future!
MUSIC
I put the music at 8 because while I wasn't completely moved by most of the songs, they really utilized the music VERY well here. All songs were meaningful and the Zhenyu songs just made them all the more important in the plot.
THEMES
I liked the themes they tackled here, and like I said, it was more mature themes than I usually see in high school dramas. The theme of healing, and how each person can be someone's healing while healing themselves- and how much those moments meant to both HF and WJH, and how it affected them in the future. It was a pretty neat touch to see them both become doctors- because it fit them so well. As well, they tackle the different sides of a story and taking responsibility for faults. Is one person truly at fault, or is it just something that happened as a result of each character living out their life choices- and if so- does that make them at fault for something that happens? I love the importance they stressed on bonds here. As well, the whole thing with regrets- how regrets can be so powerful, and if we got the chance to, would we be able to fix our mistakes and live without regrets? WJH really grew throughout the series- he healed himself and other people, and he strengthened bonds and brought to light things that should be looked at. He also was able to live a life he could be proud of an not regret, even when making a choice to take HF's place in the accident. It was a selfless act, and it completely absolved him of regret. One thing I wanted to mention though- is it truly absolving a regret when your choice causes someone else to have regrets? Would the cycle just repeat itself?
REWATCH VALUE
This has a pretty high rewatch value for me, because it would probably be encouraging on a rainy day. There wasn't a lot of toxicity between the leads and it's just a feel-good drama in general.
CONCLUSION
All in all, it was a relatively feel good that had just the right amount of stakes. A lot could be improved in terms of acting and some of the story could be hammered out, but I think it was one of my favourite cdramas to watch because of the bonds that were developed between the characters!
STORY
The story was pretty true to its premise, Wu Jinghao travels to the past to save Han Fei, and realizes a lot more along the way. Despite mentally being "ten years older" than the rest of the students, he realized that there was still a lot more to learn and complexities in character relationships that he had missed without his future maturity and experiences. The story tackled mature themes such as suicide and depression and I think it went about it very well. They didn't romanticize and rather made it seem very real for the characters. Wu Jinghao's bullying had affected how he acted to others and he even regrets it so much ten years later- and when he goes back, realizes everything he missed. If we think about it, the characters seemed really upbeat but HF and WJH hid their own insecurities and even their thoughts of suicide. The story is one of healing, and there are people that didn't like how it got stuck in "slice of life" before suddenly picking up at the end, but for me, that part was very important to really show how important everyday conversations became, and made their time more meaningful. They could have drama everywhere, but what they really needed was healing, and the story showcased that very well. That being said, I also think the pacing could have improved- for example- the whole Nannan thing holding us in suspense- I almost forgot about WJH's dreams of what happened in the first timeline. If they tightened up the pacing more, it would have made the story more engaging.
Now in terms of the time-traveling aspect- we didn't really get to see so much about the rules- but it was definitely used as a handy plot device- and not overused. While it could have been explained a little more- we do know that all four of the major players had a hand in it- Bai Zhenyu's song playing (which could even be him reminiscing), and Nannan, WJH and HF traveling to the past. It was a clever little thing to add there- that Nannan also came from the future. I also wish they could have made the "WJH getting run over" more...plot essential? Like he literally kind of just stood there as if asking to be run over. However, in general, the time-traveling was dealt with very well and it wasn't "too convenient", nor did it become too irrelevant. Just a personal thing, but I wish they were able to tie up loose ends with Zhenyu and Nannan, but it sets up enough for there to be a potential season.
CAST
For me, the cast was a little green and the acting was what threw me off at times. I think Li Yi Nan definitely stood out the most, but there was still a lot that could be improved. No characters were reduced to caricatures- except maybe Nannan's mother- and Sabrina Zhuang did alright, but definitely has a lot to work on. It was a little off-putting to see all of them play 28 year olds- especially HF. In terms of Asians- we all look younger than our age already- so I had to work a little harder on my suspension of disbelief here hahaha. That being said, they all brought smiles to my faces and I think these rookie actors will have a bright future!
MUSIC
I put the music at 8 because while I wasn't completely moved by most of the songs, they really utilized the music VERY well here. All songs were meaningful and the Zhenyu songs just made them all the more important in the plot.
THEMES
I liked the themes they tackled here, and like I said, it was more mature themes than I usually see in high school dramas. The theme of healing, and how each person can be someone's healing while healing themselves- and how much those moments meant to both HF and WJH, and how it affected them in the future. It was a pretty neat touch to see them both become doctors- because it fit them so well. As well, they tackle the different sides of a story and taking responsibility for faults. Is one person truly at fault, or is it just something that happened as a result of each character living out their life choices- and if so- does that make them at fault for something that happens? I love the importance they stressed on bonds here. As well, the whole thing with regrets- how regrets can be so powerful, and if we got the chance to, would we be able to fix our mistakes and live without regrets? WJH really grew throughout the series- he healed himself and other people, and he strengthened bonds and brought to light things that should be looked at. He also was able to live a life he could be proud of an not regret, even when making a choice to take HF's place in the accident. It was a selfless act, and it completely absolved him of regret. One thing I wanted to mention though- is it truly absolving a regret when your choice causes someone else to have regrets? Would the cycle just repeat itself?
REWATCH VALUE
This has a pretty high rewatch value for me, because it would probably be encouraging on a rainy day. There wasn't a lot of toxicity between the leads and it's just a feel-good drama in general.
CONCLUSION
All in all, it was a relatively feel good that had just the right amount of stakes. A lot could be improved in terms of acting and some of the story could be hammered out, but I think it was one of my favourite cdramas to watch because of the bonds that were developed between the characters!
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