spicyeggroll
This review may contain spoilers
Spunky, energetic barista x awkward, unsociable architect from high school to college
Youth drama at its finest! I love how this show stayed true to its warm, endearing tone from beginning to end. Every potential enemy turns into a friend. The main lead were childhood friends turned high school sweethearts turned college couple. Their best friends also have a similar progression. Everyone gets happy endings as they wrap up high school and everyone managed to pursue their dreams while staying together.
It's a feel-good, unrealistic yet heartwarming rendition of young adult years.
PROS
❀ Main leads are a team from beginning to end | I picked up this drama for the ML actually, despite not being the biggest fan of youth dramas, because I wanted to see how the show portrayed his social anxiety disorder. It was awesome to see him slowly open up with the help of the feisty FL (I love how they call her Rui Ge, like older bro), while he on the other hand helped the FL with her studies and getting into college. They're a team, through and through, and their bond remains tight throughout the show.
I've become a fan of the actress for the FL. I love how full of energy she is, how she would randomly dance, and how she was comfortable with grandiose actions. I feel like she really got into her role! The ML was like a little puppy, especially when he opened up. I don't think the role itself needed much from the actor, but his face was really good at exuding those puppy vibes.
Romance-wise, their chemistry is sweet and like the rosy blushes of first love; their relationship is innocent and naive. There's a lot of interrupted kisses (lol, maybe like 5+?), but the kisses near the end are sugary sweet and satisfying.
❀ Cute secondary characters that I really liked | The FL's best friends are loud-and-proud Cheng Er Luo and studious actress Zhao Yi Shu. While wary of the ML's unwillingness to open up at first, they gradually become friends and understand each other. Cheng Er Luo ends up calling the ML "Nan idol," lmao. There's a couple of other sweet couples (diligent diplomat Yang Yu Fei x bad boy/slacker Liu Bin; fierce coach x well-read coffee house owner) that light up the screen as well. And one of the wittiest characters of the cast was Chen Hao, the FL's younger half-brother. He was so cheeky!
❀ Nostalgic school moments that make you want to re-live teen years | From setting off fireworks during evening study period to cheering on your friend at basketball practice after school, Meeting You really encapsulates the best times of high school and college. Even studying for the college entrance exams is a team effort that, while stressful, remains light in tone.
❀ Sha-la-la-la OST that matched the light tone of the drama | It's a shame the YT audio has such poor quality (they would take away background music during scenes, I guess for copyright reasons?), which really killed the vibe. But I'm listening to the full OST as I write this review, and it's really cute! Makes me feel like a high schooler again.
❀ Awesome adult characters | From the supportive moms to the devoted teachers, all the adults passed the vibe check in this drama. Love, love, loved their limited screen time and interactions with the young group. 10/10 great role models.
CONS
✕ A relationship that toed the line with co-dependency | I was low-key surprised at some of the dialogue that happened between the leads. I mentioned before that it was nice seeing the FL bring the ML out of his shell while the ML helped tutor the FL, but when people (namely, parents) wanted to separate them, the answer was a firm, "no." FL might not get into this university suitable for the ML's future? ML's answer: "I'm not going." FL gets an opportunity to go to Italy to hone her coffee-making skills but that means leaving the ML? FL's answer: "I'm not leaving." If not for the coincidential plot points that allowed the main couple to stay together the entire drama, I shudder to think of how the couple would have sacrificed potential futures for each other. Not to say you can't, as this is a nuanced discussion that people have to have, but the drama never took the steps to start that conversation. It retained its singular focus of "we won't be split up again" from beginning to end. On one side, it's testimony of the main leads' devotion (very nice!). On the other, it toes the line of some head-scratching as you begin to think about potential co-dependency. The solution? Don't think too deep about it.
✕ Misunderstanding level: 0/10 for the main couple, 4/10 for second couple | Xia Rui and Nan Xi are solid from beginning to end. They trust each other even through rumors and other external interference. Cheng Er Luo and Zhao Yi Shu (the second couple) take a much longer time getting together. He's dense af, she's missing her opportunities to confess. Their relationship was sweet at first but got a bit overdone when they went to college.
OVERALL
While I have mostly positive things to say about this drama, it stays on the superficial side. This is a positive, as the tone is light-hearted and fluffy (no need for angst to enter the equation), but it also makes it a bit difficult to keep the engagement going. I found myself watching scenes in 1.5x-2x speed out of sheer impatience. So while the show didn't have too much depth, that's exactly how it should be enjoyed. I still recommend it though, for a youth drama that's more romance than coming-of-age, highlighting the fun times of young adulthood rather than the struggles.
(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)
It's a feel-good, unrealistic yet heartwarming rendition of young adult years.
PROS
❀ Main leads are a team from beginning to end | I picked up this drama for the ML actually, despite not being the biggest fan of youth dramas, because I wanted to see how the show portrayed his social anxiety disorder. It was awesome to see him slowly open up with the help of the feisty FL (I love how they call her Rui Ge, like older bro), while he on the other hand helped the FL with her studies and getting into college. They're a team, through and through, and their bond remains tight throughout the show.
I've become a fan of the actress for the FL. I love how full of energy she is, how she would randomly dance, and how she was comfortable with grandiose actions. I feel like she really got into her role! The ML was like a little puppy, especially when he opened up. I don't think the role itself needed much from the actor, but his face was really good at exuding those puppy vibes.
Romance-wise, their chemistry is sweet and like the rosy blushes of first love; their relationship is innocent and naive. There's a lot of interrupted kisses (lol, maybe like 5+?), but the kisses near the end are sugary sweet and satisfying.
❀ Cute secondary characters that I really liked | The FL's best friends are loud-and-proud Cheng Er Luo and studious actress Zhao Yi Shu. While wary of the ML's unwillingness to open up at first, they gradually become friends and understand each other. Cheng Er Luo ends up calling the ML "Nan idol," lmao. There's a couple of other sweet couples (diligent diplomat Yang Yu Fei x bad boy/slacker Liu Bin; fierce coach x well-read coffee house owner) that light up the screen as well. And one of the wittiest characters of the cast was Chen Hao, the FL's younger half-brother. He was so cheeky!
❀ Nostalgic school moments that make you want to re-live teen years | From setting off fireworks during evening study period to cheering on your friend at basketball practice after school, Meeting You really encapsulates the best times of high school and college. Even studying for the college entrance exams is a team effort that, while stressful, remains light in tone.
❀ Sha-la-la-la OST that matched the light tone of the drama | It's a shame the YT audio has such poor quality (they would take away background music during scenes, I guess for copyright reasons?), which really killed the vibe. But I'm listening to the full OST as I write this review, and it's really cute! Makes me feel like a high schooler again.
❀ Awesome adult characters | From the supportive moms to the devoted teachers, all the adults passed the vibe check in this drama. Love, love, loved their limited screen time and interactions with the young group. 10/10 great role models.
CONS
✕ A relationship that toed the line with co-dependency | I was low-key surprised at some of the dialogue that happened between the leads. I mentioned before that it was nice seeing the FL bring the ML out of his shell while the ML helped tutor the FL, but when people (namely, parents) wanted to separate them, the answer was a firm, "no." FL might not get into this university suitable for the ML's future? ML's answer: "I'm not going." FL gets an opportunity to go to Italy to hone her coffee-making skills but that means leaving the ML? FL's answer: "I'm not leaving." If not for the coincidential plot points that allowed the main couple to stay together the entire drama, I shudder to think of how the couple would have sacrificed potential futures for each other. Not to say you can't, as this is a nuanced discussion that people have to have, but the drama never took the steps to start that conversation. It retained its singular focus of "we won't be split up again" from beginning to end. On one side, it's testimony of the main leads' devotion (very nice!). On the other, it toes the line of some head-scratching as you begin to think about potential co-dependency. The solution? Don't think too deep about it.
✕ Misunderstanding level: 0/10 for the main couple, 4/10 for second couple | Xia Rui and Nan Xi are solid from beginning to end. They trust each other even through rumors and other external interference. Cheng Er Luo and Zhao Yi Shu (the second couple) take a much longer time getting together. He's dense af, she's missing her opportunities to confess. Their relationship was sweet at first but got a bit overdone when they went to college.
OVERALL
While I have mostly positive things to say about this drama, it stays on the superficial side. This is a positive, as the tone is light-hearted and fluffy (no need for angst to enter the equation), but it also makes it a bit difficult to keep the engagement going. I found myself watching scenes in 1.5x-2x speed out of sheer impatience. So while the show didn't have too much depth, that's exactly how it should be enjoyed. I still recommend it though, for a youth drama that's more romance than coming-of-age, highlighting the fun times of young adulthood rather than the struggles.
(Note: My rewatch value is set to 5.0 always as a default as I'm not the type to rewatch dramas EVER. Thus, I do not take it into account when calculating overall score.)
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