Lily
distracted from schoolwork
Story/plot: -10- I heard that this storyline was very similar to a Japanese drama/manga called “Itazura na Kiss”; however, I have never watched the drama, or any of their remakes, so I am writing this review with nothing to compare it to, pretty much. With that being said, I loved the storyline of this cutesy, heart-warming drama! The cliche style of a not-so-smart girl liking the perfect guy definitely took a positive turn in this show! The transition between high school to college to adult life was pretty smooth, in my opinion, with majority of it focused during their high school years, which made it an innocent and light drama. As the story moves on to the adult life, the relationship between the main leads became more intimate, which made me squeal so many times at 2 o'clock in the morning.
Acting/cast: -10- The height difference between the 160cm Chen Xiao Xi (played by Shen Yue) and the tall 188cm Jiang Chen (played by Hu Yi Tian) made me squeal every time! Both of the main leads are decently new faces to the entertainment world, and they definitely made a good impression, on me at least haha! For her first main-lead role in a drama, Shen Yue did a spectacular job of performing the different sides and attitudes of the character, Chen Xiao Xi, from the happy, always positive high school youth to the independent grown women that Chen Xiao Xi becomes later on in the drama. NOW, LET’S TALK ABOUT HU YI TIAN! OMG, HE IS SOME HAWT STUFF! So cute, and for his first main-lead role, he played it really well! It’s hard to fall in love with someone who plays a, supposedly, cold-hearted, not caring character, but later on, we find out that the character, Jiang Chen, is pretty much the opposite! The way Hu Yi Tian smirks and acts to care for Chen Xiao Xi in the drama can make any girl's heart flutter! (I think I found my next man crush tbh) The supporting roles might have not done a whole lot, but their contribution played a huge impact throughout the whole show, and it made the drama 100X better! Nothing to complain in general, great leads, great actors/actresses, and great chemistry! :)
Music: -10- The opening song is truly the perfect fit for the drama! When I first heard it, I already loved it and how the melody matches the drama’s theme, but after reading the lyrics, it made me love the song even more! If you don’t believe me, take a look yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIKib5Bymz8 I especially love the line “wo xihuan ni pei wo kanshu fen xin kan wo tou xiao” which translates to “I like you when you’re accompanying me to read a book, distracted by looking at me, smiling quietly,” it brings back many ridiculous smiles when I watched the drama, and I can't seem to stop replaying the song in my head now!
Rewatch value: -8- I love A Love so Beautiful and I have rewatched my favorite parts more than a dozen time, but I am sorry, I can’t rewatch the whole drama from the beginning to end more than once. I am not sure exactly why, but I guess the whole drama wasn’t capturing enough for me? For the parts that I love though, I have rewatched it so many times, and I will never get bored of rewatching them!
Overall: -9- This drama truly created a great end to my 2017! The sweet, yet simple story is my cup of tea! I can’t seem to let go of this drama, it was too good and too sweet! The characters played their parts so well, the mixture of the songs and the cute relationships between the characters are too much to be given up so easily. So sad that I watched it in only 2 days! I wish I would have spent more time to savor every second!
If you are looking for a romantic, and heart-warming drama that takes place mainly during the high school life and transitions to more serious matters later on, A Love so Beautiful is definitely the drama for you! Hope this helps and thanks for reading!
Chào for Now!
Lily L.
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This review may contain spoilers
After a while of not being hooked into any drama, this drama series was a refresher for me. It continuously made me more excited for the upcoming Fridays and Saturdays as these were the days when new episodes premiered. I just finished the series this morning, and here are my thoughts about this drama:Story/plot: -9- The storyline had many cute moments between the characters, and there was not really any huge climax or conflict that lasted for several episodes. This plot was, more or less, very bubbly and cutesy with many squealing moments; it felt as if the main characters were living in their honeymoon phase the entire time due to the amount of innocence they had. Unlike with other Chinese dramas, I did not feel like the middle was intensely dragged out and was instead filled with more sweet and funny moments. Now, for the ending. Yes, the ending was a good ending, so that was a plus; however, I did not feel like it was a satisfying one. I felt the last few large events, starting with Si Tu Mo visiting Gu Wei Yi in Germany, were too rushed and had holes in between. The last scene with their kid though... glad they had a kid, but the kid seemed like he was 5 years old meaning the viewers just lost 5 years right there! It is understandable why they can't fit everything in 24 episodes, but compared to the rest of the drama, I felt the ending could have used more attention when it was made/directed. The hidden egg scenes at the very end of most of the episodes were cute considering the viewers were able to see some scenes from Gu Wei Yi's point-of-view.
Acting/cast: -9- The height difference between Gu Wei Yi (played by Lin Yi) and Si Tu Mo (played by Fair Xing) is absolutely adorable; it reminds me, and probably many others who watched, so much of A Love So Beautiful with Jiang Chen (Hu Yi Tian) and Xiao Xi (Shen Yue). Gu Wei Yi is a physics genius/nerd who sincerely cares for Si Tu Mo, both before and especially after they started dating. There were many times when he was clueless about how to please her or what to do in a relationship, so he had to search them on the internet which was cute and funny to watch. Lin Yi's acting could use some work, but for being the very first drama he acted in, his acting definitely has potential. He is also very attractive, in my opinion! Throughout the series, I had some frustrations and was annoyed with the character of Si Tu Mo, particularly the beginning and towards the end, because of her unwillingness to understand certain situations from Gu Wei Yi's perspective, but overall, her character was still independent and strong. The side characters were ok; they didn't play too much of a role in the drama except for Fu Pei (Xiao Tian Tang) and Wang Shan (Zheng Ying Chen). I enjoyed the character development of Fu Pei after he met Wang Shan, but their last proposal scene felt out of placed and rushed, as well.
Music: -8.5- The music matched the cuteness and bubbly-ness of the drama, so I had no complaints. Although none of the music stood out to me, they fit the flow of the drama. The dog and cat noises throughout the drama were really cute though.
Rewatch value: -8- Honestly, I don't think I can rewatch the entire series from beginning to end, but I might re-watch some cute scenes (there was a lot of those in this drama).
Overall: -9- This drama was definitely a refresher for me in the abundance of dramas, that I can't seem to find interest so much, premiering nowadays. The series kept me on the edge of my seat as I had to patiently wait for the new episodes every Friday and Saturday. The storyline was not extreme and was one that guided the audience through the life of the main character's love story. I honestly didn't have any problems with the storyline until the end, and even then, I am not mad at it.
I recommend this series to those who are looking for a drama with a cheerful and lovey-dovey storyline to wind down, maybe for those who just finished watching a frustrating drama. Sorry this review was a tad more lengthy than I intended, but I wanted to share my thoughts. Hope you enjoyed, and thank you for reading!
Chào for Now!
Lily L.
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This review may contain spoilers
It’s been a while since I have completed a drama series, but this was a great one to start my 2020 year (I know it’s already April, but college has not allowed me to truly binge-watch any shows; please forgive me). Story/plot: -8.5- I enjoyed the storyline for the most part. The focus on ice sports was a unique twist to this show and was one I have not seen in specifically c-dramas yet. Loved the main leads, and adored the supporting characters. The lessons each character learned throughout the drama were unique to each individual, and it was heartwarming. It was a great rom-com mixed with the touching aspect of each character striving to reach their goal while having strong support from friends, family, and loved ones. With that being said, there were a few points I wanted to address. 1) 40 episodes for this drama was, in my opinion, a bit too much. It was bearable to sit through, but barely. I think the reason for these added episodes is due to this next point. 2) There were too many side couples. Although I did appreciate and adored each side couple, it took some time away from the main leads. Each couple might have not had that much time to themselves, but when you accumulate 5 different side couples each with let’s say 30 minutes of screen time and story building, that already adds up to 150 minutes, or over 3 episodes. The focus was switched between the different couples so many times, and I wished they used that time to instead focus more on the main couple, especially after that climatic scene around episode 33-34. With that being said, 3) That climax around episode 33-34? Unnecessary and semi-frustrating. The relationship between Tang Xue and Li Yu Bing afterwards honestly did not come back to like what they had before the incident. They tried to resolve it afterwards, but I felt like there was some kind of awkward tension between them that was never truly “resolved.”
Acting/cast: -10- Initially, I was hesitant about the main lead pairing of Janice Wu (playing Tang Xue) and Steven Zhang (playing Li Yu Bing) because I was still caught up with them playing different characters in other dramas. However, just after the first episode, all of my doubts were disregarded because these two were honestly perfect for their lead roles! Each individual played their role very well and altogether created a great and memorable cast. I suppose the one thing I wish was focused more on was the transition between Tang Xue’s past self and her realizing how she acted towards Li Yu Bing; I felt like Li Yu Bing just accepted that she was different back then, has changed to a better self overtime, and that’s it (but this is more of a plot concern rather than a cast concern).
Music: -10- The soundtrack for this drama was truly perfect. They knew how to fit the mood of each specific scene with the song that accompanied it; best one I have heard in any drama yet! I loved the outro song, “The Moment I Met You” (当遇见你) and have been listening to it nonstop; if you are interested, you can find it here on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRmyqGE0zw8&list=FLqDXyD0Srhes9ywsutKGnDg&index=2. I am still looking for the piano piece that was played throughout the drama, so if you know the title of the piano piece I am referring to, please comment it down below!
Rewatch value: -7- Adored it the first time through, but I can not rewatch this entire drama from episode 1-40 over again. I already had the urge to skip many scenes (don’t worry, I did not) when I was watching it for the first time, so I know I will be skipping many scenes if I do decide to rewatch it. There were many cute scenes between Tang Xue and Li Yu Bing that I would rewatch, but other than that, this was more of a one-time-enjoyment type of drama.
Overall: -9- This drama caught my attention, and I was glad I was able to enjoy binge-watching it through a stressful time right now between being stuck indoors and stressing over finals week for college. It left me feeling empty after finishing it, which is a good sign since that meant I enjoyed watching the series. Although I believe there were some things that could have been altered, I still fangirled throughout watching this and thoroughly enjoyed it.
If you are looking for a rom-com where each character learns how to grow into their better selves, I would give this drama a go! If you have already finished this drama and are looking for something that revolves around rom-com and sports, I recommend My Mr. Mermaid (it is centered around competitive swimming)! Thanks for reading :)))
Chào for Now!
Lily L.
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Story/plot: -10- This drama had a cute, fun, and catch-worthy storyline! I absolutely loved how it was centered around swimming, mixed with life issues and dramas. I was intrigued from the very beginning to the very end, and although there were some parts that were dragged out, I couldn't really blame them; after all, they had to fill up 36-37 episodes... Even so, every episode hooked me in, and made me stay up late every night, telling myself "just one more episode" (even though we all know, that is never true :P). The ending is definitely NOT a downer! This ending was settled and it flowed smoothly and nicely.
Acting/cast: -10- LEMME TELL YOU! THIS CAST=PERFECTION! Xiong Dylan (Tang Yi Bai)+Tan Song Yun (Yun Duo)=so cute!!! They are the ULTIMATE couple and they were made to be the main leads. I squealed at their height difference every time, and their interactions on and off camera are also goals! Other than the main leads, I also loved how there were other cute couples around them like, for example, Huang Sheng Chi (Qu Rui Feng) and Wang Zi Xuan (Xiang Yang Yang). Not to mention, there were a lot of good lookin' guys in this drama! You need the right cast to carry out a good storyline and THIS CAST MADE EVERYTHING FANTASTIC!
Music: -10- This is my first drama where I truly payed attention and appreciated the song selection, and this is because the song selection for this drama is so memorable! Every song truly matched their placement during the moments throughout the drama. If anyone wants to take a sneak peak at a song example, here is my favorite, "Crossing the Pacific", which could be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NY65i3DP9WA
Rewatch value: -8- Although I gave many complements about this drama, my rewatch value would have to be an 8. This is because since there were a lot of surprising twists and turns, rewatching the whole drama from beginning to end wouldn't allow the full attention this drama truly deserves. I will, however, re-watch all the cute moments the characters had with one another and beware! there are A LOT of cute moments where I guarantee you will squeal when watching!
Overall: -9.5- Overall, this drama was a cute and refreshing one to watch for me. My only downer is probably the rewatch value, but I still advice this to everyone because of all the positive things I stated above, from the storyline to the music, this drama made everything fit well altogether.
Thank you to everyone who read this relatively long review, but I hope whoever is reading this to give "My Mr. Mermaid" a try, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! :)
Chào for Now!
Lily L.
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Story/Plot: -10- When my mom showed me this drama, I saw it was related to video games and I was like "I'm out! I am NOT watching this!" but I decided to give it a shot and I am so happy I did! The storyline is amazing, the combination between the game world and the outside world is such a unique idea that was brought out nicely throughout this drama. I love school/earlier adulthood settings so this was a major plus for my specific taste. Overall, the plot was perfect because it had funny moments, sad moments, and such cute moments all in one!
Acting/Cast: -10- Zheng Shuang and Yang Yang (Bei Wei Wei and Xiao Nai) had amazing chemistry! His character looks out for her in every way possible and it is just so cute! Her character complements his character and that makes this whole entire drama 10 times, NO! 100 times better. The whole entire cast was spot on for this plot. Er Xi and Bei Wei Wei's friendship is absolute GOALS! Speaking of goals, of course, Bei Wei Wei relationship with Xiao Nai is also goals! It makes me so sad because I know, in the real world, that there will never be anyone perfect as Xiao Nai! :( I also love how this drama mainly focuses on the two main characters and even though there are misunderstandings throughout the drama, it always comes back to focusing on Bei Wei Wei and Xiao Nai. This just adds way more meaning to their relationship in "Love o2o" and it is what makes this drama really stand out from the others.
Music: -10- The songs/tunes used in this drama are so adorable and they fit in with the events happening so well! There is also a song by Yang Yang in this so that just makes me love it even more! :)
Rewatch Value: -10- Saying that I have already watched this drama 3 whole times, from the beginning to the end, and still find it intriguing to watch it for the fourth and fifth and sixth time, I would definitely give this a 10 rating for "rewatch value." (I am actually planning to rewatch this for the fourth time, maybe tomorrow since I have nothing else to do)
Overall: -10- The storyline is perfect! The characters are perfect! The music is perfect! Everything is practically perfect! There is no other drama that has beaten this one yet, for me, so I absolutely LOVED this one! I might seem to be rating this drama really easy going, maybe in your opinion, but this drama hits the spot for me! Trust me with this review! :)
Thank you for reading this long review, but I hope it helped you guys! I REALLY ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO WATCH THIS DRAMA BECAUSE IT IS THE BEST ONE YET FOR ME!
Chào for Now!
Lily L.
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Plot/story: -8.5- Right from the beginning, the story hooked me. Literally... (you will get the pun when you see the beginning hehe) The main characters in the first few episodes already have their special/cute moments that strengthen their relationship throughout the drama. I love how the story goes with the flow in every episode... until the very end. I STRONGLY DISLIKED THE ENDING! It was so abrupt! It could have been way cuter on Han Jie's (Lego Lee) side. The production could have told the viewers how Han Jie and Fang Xiao Rou's life after the students graduated or where they went or what they did! There were soooooo many cliffhangers that could have been fixed and would make the ending an actual ending. The whole drama was great, except the ending.
Acting/cast: -10- Perfect cast for this drama! All the characters' personalities were on point and I couldn't asked for a better cast. Lego Lee played Han Jie so well! Like holy cow! He is so into his character that it was so cute watching him chase after Fang XIao Rou (Allison Lin) and then him being chased by Fang Xiao Rou later in the drama. Same goes with Allison Lin playing Fang Xiao Rou. Her innocence in Love Cuisine was so adorable to watch and it definitely kept me hooked to watch these two characters get to know each other throughout the drama. All the students, whom I believe are relatively new in the acting world, played their parts really well! They sparks between the students' relationships were just perfect and really ties this whole drama together. (Especially with Wan Mai Zhi and Wei Qi Zhen)
Music: -9- Very catchy and well used in this drama though sometimes they can be overplayed between the breaks.
Rewatch Value: -10- Well, considering that I have already rewatched this drama 5+ times and am still in love with it, for me it's a 10 score.
Overall: -9.5- It was near perfect!!!!! But sadly the ending was a bit of a downhill. For anyone who likes cute, but now too over the top, food related, school drama or wants to watch a simple drama, this drama is perfect for you!
HOPE YOU GUYS ENJOY THIS DRAMA AS MUCH AS I DID!!!
Chào for Now!
Lily L.
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Story/Plot: -8.5- The drama started off really well. The production had a strong lead and it seemed like they knew where they were heading and how the story was going to flow. The idea was cliché in a way however, main couples started off hating each other and then they find their way to being a couple. Even so, Heartstrings was a bit different than the other dramas with the combination of music being their "inspiration"; I am into music from both traditional and modern styles, so being able to hear songs that includes both styles and how they compliment each other was a major bonus for me. THE ENDING THOUGH! I hate how they tried to fit so much information in less than 30 minutes. So much was happening from scene to scene and some of them just doesn't go well with one another. Other than that, storyline was cute, simple, and easy to watch!
Acting/Cast: -10- Perfect cast for this movie. No complaints. Acting was flawless! Everyone was so much into character and it ties the whole drama together. Well done!
Music: -10- I love the music in this drama! Again, no complaints.
Rewatch Value: -8- I would watch it again, but it wouldn't capture my eye like it would the first time I watched it.
Overall: -9- Love the movie, the cast, the acting, the music. Everything except the ending. For anyone who likes music related drama, cute moments, or simple dramas, HEARTSTRINGS is the one for YOU!
Thanks for reading!
Chào For Now!
Lily L.
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To start off, this movie was jammed pack with information and for the time that was available, they overall did a good job at fitting as much as they can from the book to this movie. But since it was a movie, they lost a lot of smoother transitions that would have made this a better production.
Plot/Setting: -8- For "A Smile is beautiful," I love this movie's storyline! The way the characters interacted online and offline was so cute and I have never seen any movie with that concept before! The downside was that since it was a movie, I got confused at some parts and the jumps between scenes were just too fast for me. Even so, they did a good job at capturing the main parts of the story and they made the scenes work together within 1.5 hours.
Acting/Cast: -8- Angela Baby did a decent job playing Bei Wei Wei in this movie. From what I was expecting though, Bei Wei Wei's character could have been a bit more "introverted" but of course, a bit different doesn't always mean it's a bad thing :) Now Jing Boran, I have to say, does not have the looks like Yang Yang (Actor playing Xiao Nai in the drama version) but I love how his character was a tad bit more open in this version.
Music: -9- The music fitted in nicely with the scenes of the movie so no complaints from me!
Rewatch value: -5- Even though the movie had its pros, this is mainly a one time movie for me.
Overall: -7.5- Due to the jumpy transitions between the scenes, I will have to rate this movie an overall 7.5/10. But of course, for the limited time provided for them, they had great uses of ideas and it all fit together very well.
I would recommend this for anyone who wants to watch a gaming type movie with cute interactions between the two main leads.
Thanks for Reading!
Chào For Now!
Lily L.
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Story/Plot: -9- Like I said before, really love the different style of storyline this drama brought out. The K.O Bad Girls were a nice group for this drama, so thumbs up for them. (Girl Power!) From the beginning, they got me hooked and even at the end, the main characters settled everything that used to be a bad influence in their lives. There were so many scenes where I laughed my butt off since it was SOOOOO funny! There were also times where the characters interacted with the viewers through pop up doodles and their lines. Overall the story was different, creative, funny and cute!
Acting/Cast: -9.5- I loved the cast, I loved everything through the acting to the characters but there is a reason why I rated this a 9.5 instead of a 10. That is because the chemistry between Charlie and Xiao Feng DID NOT REACH AN END! Their chemistry was soooooo cute in this drama but at the end, it just didn't reach a conclusion. THEY SHOULD MAKE A SEASON 2 BECAUSE I NEED A SEASON TWO!
Music: -9- The music was catchy and modern. The ending with the music battle was hilarious and very surprising!
Rewatch Value: -7- Although I love the drama, it is mostly a one time time type of drama. The only reason why I might watch it again is because of Charlie and Xiao Feng's cute moments together...
Overall: -8.5- Loved the storyline, the acting, the characters, but I want a season 2 because this can't be the end of this amazing drama!
Thanks for reading!
Ciao for Now!
Lily L.
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