A Love So Beautiful

I was emotionally invested in the push and pull of this show. The way the pairs have so many gazillion ways of being romantic is creative and unique. Even though in my mind I don’t like school dramas – I’ve always enjoyed the chemistry of them and the way the relationship is built on friendship and shared experiences within a group setting. The friends are so comfortable with each other, it’s great. They are individual friends as well as a group of friends. The little scenes at the end of each episode is also gold.

The second half of the show, is a little more angsty. The last few episodes really pack a punch of emotion and story telling. I loved how convincing it was that the characters were really older.

Xiaoxi – Female lead
Xiaoxi is the standard ditsy but there’s something about her that is likeable and funny compared to a lot of Chinese heroines that are whiny and immature.

I like that she is fearless when it comes to standing up for her friends.

Xiaoxi is obsessed with Jiang Chen and he mainly holds her at arm’s length but does throw her a few bones here and there that make her giddy with happiness.
But the relationship is kind of sarcastic too so it’s fun.

I liked seeing Xiaoxi grow up.

“I’m not a young girl anymore so I don’t want to show my excessive passion to such a cold person.”

JiaoXing

“You’re my buddy indeed. You never drop away at critical moments.”

I liked Jiaoxing for being beautiful, smart and fierce. We need at least one main female lead to be smart!

Jiaoxing: Make a phone call
Lu Yang: What?
Jiaoxing: Call.
Lu Yang: To whom?
Jiaoxing: Jiang Chen or Wu Bosong. Call them to see her.

Jiang Chen
To start with, Jiang Chen is not too stiff – which I appreciate. He can smile and act like a normal student. He also has a hilarious WTF facial expression when something weird happens which is often. He also happily cares for Xiaoxi and thinks she’s adorable. They are part of the same circle of friends which kind of makes her obsession of him a bit strange.
His relationship with his brother is super cute. His brother is tiny and Jiang Chen treats him just like a peer. His honest conversations about Xiaoxi in the form of dog analogies cracked me up. He is quite petty when it comes to sharing Xiaoxi’s affection with anyone else. Despite his indifference he’s possessive of her.

“Watch the car.” - [pulls on Xiaoxi away from Wu Bosong]
“Where is the car?”

I suppose he likes her attention but he doesn’t know how to handle her and he takes it for granted. The first time that Xiaoxi ignores him he’s so surprised he calls out after her.
He definitely does things just to annoy her but then there are also times that he is genuinely concerned about her and wants to make her feel better. Just when you think they are moments of slight consideration, there comes a situation where there is no reason that Jiang Chen should do something and he does it. I loved how the show demonstrated for us Jiang Chen’s instincts to bring about Xiaoxi’s happiness. It’s also fun to see how affected Jiang Chen is when it comes to Xiaoxi the way his eyes widen when he realises how he’s reacting.

“You won’t go? For Xiaoxi?”
“I want to be a doctor, and also be with her.”

Romance

“Will you write in my graduation album?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Only people apart from each other do that.”

I find it a really interesting dynamic the way Xiaoxi idolises Jiang Chen but is also so comfortable with hanging out with him.
I like that while there are plenty of times that Xiaoxi is sneakily spying on Jiang Chen there are plenty of times when he’s doing it too.
Xiaoxi isn’t afraid to show her ugly side to Jiang Chen as well.

As the story moves along you can see Jiang Chen gets a few surprises when Xiaoxi has moments of not really caring about him. Those moments are GREAT fun.

“Then does the smell of anti-mosquito water and essential balm turn you on?”

Jiang Chen very rarely smiles with his teeth but when he does he’s smiling at Xiaoxi. He also never raises his voice unless it’s shouting her name.

“Everyone thinks that Chen Xiaoxi loves me more.”

One of my favourite lines.

Swimmer Guy

“Xiaoxi, can you see me? I’m always here.”

Sorry, this actor was not handsome enough for me.

“But, as you know, I will be extremely insecure when I see him.”

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''A Love So Beautiful'' was the first C-Drama that I've ever watched!
The story isn't something fresh or new, talks about a looong friendship that turns into something more into a 12 year timelapse.
I've really appreciated it because doesn't tend to fall into boring long and unappropriated scenes like many other Chinese dramas, everything super smooth and easy-going.
I absolutely loved the second lead, also the main couple made wonderful work!
More than a drama, I can consider it more as a long journey with the cast into their life as teenagers till adults!
Absolutely worth the time spent by watching it!

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Long and slow

This was not a 'non-stop watching' drama. I even stopped once, for a week, before continuing.

What I liked
-- The male lead character
-- The acting was very good by most of the cast
-- The second female lead and the second couple love story

What I didn't like
-- Too long and slow. It could have been a 16-ep drama by skipping unnecessary side stories.
-- The female lead character, indecisive, whining instead of studying, etc
-- The silly breakup. By this time I was already tired of watching.
-- The lack of communication between the main couple

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Primeiro de tudo eu já começo dizendo que, como dado a entender na sinopse, esse é um daqueles dramas em que acompanhamos a vida dos personagens por bem mais do que se percebe. A trama começa por volta de 2005 ou 2006, e estende-se até pouco além de 2013, então são quase dez anos de história nos quais nos envolvemos com os personagens e, mesmo num total razoavelmente pequeno de episódios para tanto tempo de enredo, nada soa apressado e mais parece como se tivéssemos acompanhado-os de muito mais perto. O carisma imediato de personagens como Xiaoxi e sua melhor amiga Lin Jingxiao foi uma das primeiras coisas a me prender logo de cara no drama, e muitas mais surgem conforme a história se desenvolve.

Mesmo ocupando uma das posições mais baixas no ranking do colégio, Xiaoxi é otimista, ativa e dedicada, principalmente quando diz respeito à se aproximar de Jiang Chen. Fora isso, ela também é uma desenhista muito talentosa, e sempre vemos os seus rascunhos aqui e ali durante a trama. Um tanto desastrada e distraída em alguns momentos, o que me levou a sinceramente identificar-me com ela em vários momentos, mesmo quando sua insistência com o rapaz ficava irritante. Nesse paralelo, Jiang Chen é um daqueles personagens que duvidamos, à princípio, que possamos vir a gostar, mas ele acaba cativando o expectador de forma tão sutil que, se bobear, mesmo com eventuais evasões às tentativas de Xiaxi, eu posso ter me encantado por ele mais do que ela. Após ter perdido o pai quando criança e estar morando sozinho há um bom tempo desde que a mãe e o irmão caçula foram morar em outra cidade e mantém um contato bem vago, ele se acostumou a ser reservado e sua frieza por vezes não é de todo intencional, mas muito mais o reflexo da própria distância que ele tinha com o pai e continua tendo com a mãe, e é ao dar, pouco a pouco, aberturas para a amiga que ele conseguirá se abrir para si próprio também ao longo do drama.

Depois dos protagonistas, temos também o elenco de amigos que faz o drama ser ainda mais incrível e envolvente! Começando por aquele que rodeia o casal principal e que muito corre risco de cair na tão conhecida friendzone, Wu Bosong. Nadador já sete vezes premiado, ele é recém-chegado ao colégio mas logo de cara se depara com Xiaoxi e a simpatia pela garota logo vira algo mais. Sempre fazendo de tudo por ela, mesmo até o que ela não pede, Wu Bosong está sempre ao lado de Xiaoxi quando ela precisa e mesmo tendo problemas em casa e com o esporte que pratica, nunca deixa de colocar um sorriso no rosto, animar aqueles que ama e enfrentar de cabeça erguida tudo que lhe surge. Foi certamente um dos personagens que mais me cativaram no drama, pela simpatia e humildade de sempre, e que inclusive nos momentos que parecia estar prestes a enfrentar Jiang Chen por Xiaoxi, nunca deixou a amizade do grupo ser abalada por conta disso.

Após ele, segue-se o segundo casal da trama, composto pela melhor amiga de Xiaoxi, Lin Jingxiao e Lu Yang. Certamente a dupla mais distinta do drama, por ela ser também aluna modelo, forte e determinada, e ele um tanto frágil por ter problema de coração, geek e às vezes tão bobo e desastrado como Xiaoxi, mas que mesmo com as diferenças fazem um casal lindo. Lu Yang se apaixonou à primeira vista pela moça ainda entre os dois primeiros episódios e desde então almeja declarar-se para ela, que por outro lado, só tem olhos para o professor/médico do colégio. Diferente do romance principal, o amor deles acontece um tanto antes, mas isso não significa que demore menos, principalmente devido eventuais imprevistos que acontecem no terceiro ano escolar. Foi um casal pelo o qual torci muito e é lindo de ver os pequenos detalhes de amor rodeando-os. Jingxiao também foi uma das minhas personagens preferidas do drama, sempre apoiando e ajudando os amigos sem medir esforços, além de ser uma figura feminina de muita determinação e nenhum tipo de frescura, sendo sempre tão direta e durona quando necessário.

Esse foi, de longe, um dos dramas mais divertidos e apaixonantes que já vi. A história começa sem grandes pretensões, mas vai se desenvolvendo por entre um e outro temas mais profundos até o expectador se ver completamente imerso nessa turma. Eu ri alto em alguns momentos, emocionei-me em outros, e suspirei em outros tantos. Ressalto também que diferente do que a sinopse possa soar ali em cima, esse não é mais um daqueles dramas em que, por estar apaixonada, a garota se submete à tudo pelo rapaz. Xiaoxi até tem seus momentos de insistir de maneira irritante, mas também sabe se afastar e se dar o valor quando Jiang Chen não coopera, e é quando ele próprio tem de aprender a reconhecer a amiga que ela é e o que pode ou não sentir por ela, para então dar seu próprio passo até à moça também. Então nada de apenas um agir na relação, mas sim os dois, cada um a seu modo e tempo, e foi mais uma das coisas que me fez amar a história.

Assim, com o passar dos episódios, vemos o grupo de amigos crescer, não apenas em questões amorosas, mas profissionalmente e mesmo com relação à família, e é lindo ver esse processo. Desde a aprender a lidar com os próprios sentimentos à conviver com outras pessoas, bem como saber reconhecer e valorizar as coisas boas da vida e aqueles que os amam, é todo um crescimento que se segue muito palpável e o qual não vemos os episódios passarem de tão envolvidos que estamos na história. Um drama muito gostoso de ver e até hoje, já meses depois de eu ter visto, ainda me deixa saudades dos personagens e vira e mexe eu volto para rever. ??

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i honestly think this is one of the best dramas i have ever watched, it was very captivating tho the plots were very typical. It was very refreshing and cute, and the music was bomb, the acting was on point. i loved their friendship, and how their lives were idealistic, it’s a drama to begin with, people usually watch dramas because of how it’s different from real life ( what we wish ) or it was morals etc. i didn’t like the fact that the girl was so clingy like in the society i grew up, it’s considered having no dignity but then again it’s a drama, and it was extremely cute how she chasing after him, and the airhead he was, it was cute to me idky but i loved how they revealed his thoughts about her later, it was eye-opening. it was fun and refreshing to watch, i just found it so cutee and kept on watching it again and again, it deserves its hype.

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A Show That Can Melt Anyone's Heart

Story: It might not seem incredibly complex at first glance, but boy does it blow you away. The one sentence summary I can give is that a girl really likes a guy and is not afraid to show it, slowly winning his love in the process. One thing about a lot of dramas is that you might have one plot line that you care about and others fade to the background, but they use the 23 episodes perfectly, every story is important and beautifully told. First, of course, there's the story of Jiang Chen and Chen Xiaoxi. The slow unfolding of emotions and then the adult part where we see a switch of dynamics is fascinating to watch. Especially their own struggles with their future. Chen Xiaoxi's plot and struggle to get into school versus Jiang Chen's choice to go against his mother's choices and choose Chen Xiaoxi was just so beautiful to see. Accompanying that plot line is the equally beautiful plot line of Lu Yang gaining confidence and struggling with his heart disease as Li Jingxiao slowly falls for him is perfect. Finally, there's Wu Bosong's story and his struggle with loving Chen Xiaoxi and swimming. His plot with his father feels extremely relatable and it creates a weight to his choices that make his continued love for Chen Xiaoxi so much more valuable. I can also understand the comparisons to Itazura Na Kiss, but it is incredibly different in reality. The main difference is about emphasis. Itazura Na Kiss is a rom com about a young girl desperately trying to win a guys heart. It's surface level and stops at that, but A Love So Beautiful is not about a girl trying to win a guys heart, despite the description. It's about a girl and her 4 friends growing up and learning about themselves. The romance, although the most important part, is not all there is to it.

Character/Acting: This is where the show truly shines. This is not a plot driven show, despite how well it tells its story. It is entirely character driven. First, there's Shen Yue as Chen Xiaoxi. Chen Xiaoxi is wonderfully written protagonist. She's loyal, compassionate, bubbly, a little annoying at first, but boy does she win you over quickly. Her heart is massive and her love for the people around her is what makes her a fantastic character to watch. Shen Yue's acting is spot on in that she has an almost childlike quality that's perfect for Chen Xiaoxi. She feels like a little kid in love and you just really start to root for her to win and gain his heart. When she's sad, it also heartbreaking, but her best moments come from her relationship with others. Next, is Hu Yi Tian as Jiang Chen. Man, when I say I love this man I do. He is definitely my favorite Chinese actor ever. HE IS SO HOT. Literally, perfect looking. Pardon my forwardness. Although he's playing an inherently cold character, he still feels warm and I think that's what makes him so good. His mannerisms and moments of vulnerability contrasted with his lack of emotions makes him an awesome male lead. Plus, we love a sassy king. He always has the best one liners and definitely he had the best joke of the whole series which is the Abnormal Psychology joke. That scene with Wu Bosong where he breaks down at the end is some of the best acting I've seen in a drama. He just seems so lost and him pleading with her is both heartbreaking and beautiful to watch. I mean, I could just go on and on about Hu Yi Tian. He makes me love him in any role he plays. Like, literally any role. Next is Lu Yang. I think he is the most complex character out of all of them and the acting is just incredible. The moments where he pushes Li Jiangxiao away and those moments of tension really make this drama stand out. It's just so realistic and my heart continues to break because of them, only to be healed by their wedding. That boy was really playing the long game. As for Li Jiangxiao, man I have a crush on her. She's such a nice contrast to Chen Xiaoxi and fierce love towards her friends continues to win me over. I mean, man, how could you not love her. Finally, there's Wu Bosong. He is absolutely heartbreaking, but I have my own fan fiction for him, so it's alright. You want him to win, but at the same time, you don't. He is kind, thoughtful, and perfect in every way, but she doesn't love him and you can't change that. Haven't we all been there?

Music: Ohh. Although I don't love soundtrack music usually, I will say this is a perfect soundtrack. This soundtrack is sweet, innocent, and lovely without being annoying. The main theme is so infectious and lovely and the lyrics are perfect, starting with "I like your eyes, your eyelashes and your coldness" and continuing with "I like you accompanying me reading a book" It feels like it sums up their relationship perfectly. Also, Hu Yi Tian sings the ending credits song for this as well. Man, it's like he wants me to love him too much. It's not fair.

Rewatch Value: I could watch this drama over and over again and I have. It'll never feel stale no matter what because the moments are always so poignant and heart touching. I am currently rewatching with my father and I am finding more things I like about this show. He loves it as well by the way. It always surprises me just how detailed the writer of this was when crafting it. They clearly took a lot of care in it to tell the best possible story. This show is comfort food for the soul. It will always make me feel good on a sad day when all I want to do is cry. It's just a feeling I want to continue to replay over and over again like a sad song.

This show is something that literally everyone can love. It doesn't make one misstep and there's no plot that I get annoyed with. Even Li Wei isn't the most annoying and she has her own problems despite everything. If I had to pick one show that I think everyone in the world should watch, it would be this one. I can't find a show as carefully made to this day. Here's to searching for one though. If you don't watch it after all I've said, you're missing out. Go and watch it, you won't regret it.

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A cute and lovely rom-com drama with beautiful friendship story

This drama is easy to watch, cute, lovely, and nice. The story is about school life, friendship, and a love triangle between two boys and one girl. Friendship between characters makes this drama more beautiful and enjoyable. I have to say this is one of the best drama that has a good friendship story.

You will see a lot of mean, dumb and annoying scenes from the characters. But i think it's reasonable considering they are still teenagers. These characters are supposed to be 16 or 17, so they don't always know how to express themselves.

Anyway, I wouldn’t say this show is for everyone, but I binged it in about 4 days, so obviously I was entertained. If you’re looking for something simple and sweet that will make you laugh, this is a good drama to settle into!

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This drama will forever be in my heart <3

How will I every start this one? This is the best drama I've watched in my entire life, I don't think any drama would give me impact as much as this did. I really don't watch Chinese dramas, this is the first one I watched but man, I think Chinese dramas executes love story well than others. People might say that this is just a light-hearted drama, trust me, they're wrong! those people who says that haven't experienced the way the characters felt and portrays on the drama. Maybe it's because of the likeness and understanding that I have on their situations that's why I relate to the drama more than others. I will watch this again and again and I don't re-watch any dramas, except for this, no words can explain how much this drama impacted me.

My highlights of the drama are Chen Xiaoxi's acting skills, like damn, those eyes were so full of emotions, Shen Yue really portrayed and did justice to the character so well, and the theme song is one of the most iconic theme song of Asian dramas of all time and I think everyone can agree with it.

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One of my favourite dramas

A Love So Beautiful is one of my all time favourite dramas. I love it so much. I've rewatched the series at least 3 times since 2018, and when I want a comfort watch I'll rewatch my favourite scenes. I love virtually every aspect about this drama. I wish it was longer!
The drama is perfectly crafted. The plot is incredibly gripping. I was invested in the main romance since the beginning because I wanted to see if Jiang Chen really had feelings for Chen Xiaoxi. One of my favourite drama tropes is having a tsundere character and the way Jiang Chen has been created is perfect because whilst he has the perfect cool exterior on the inside and it looks like he doesn't like Chen Xiaoxi, he loves Chen Xiaoxi and constantly does a lot of little things for her. The second romance was also really cute. I didn't like how the romance was one sided in the beginning, but I loved it when the feelings became reciprocal and the ending for them was incredibly cute.
This drama has a very special place in my heart and I would highly recommend this drama if you haven't seen it already.

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Red Flag ML

I thought this had a cute trailer when I saw it on Netflix and thought I'd give it a try.

As I was watching it, I don't really like the ML being mean to the FL. It's ok if he's a bit cold to her but not actually mean or humiliating them.

As their relationship continued, lots of red flags came out and I really wanted them to break up and her becoming independent. I know there's a lot of these red flag MLs. . . .but I can't advocate for that and I didn't really enjoy it as I felt they shouldn't be together.

Some funny moments on the show and the secondary cast was good, but just didn't click for me.

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Whiny stalker grade female lead

8/10 is my rating. There were 23 episodes (approximately 45 minutes/episode). This 2017 Chinese drama stars Hu-Yitian as Jian Chen an intelligent young man who secretly likes the female lead character Chyen Xiaoxi (Shen Yue). This is a somewhat typical story where the girl chases the boy in almost stalker like fashion until she wears him down and he eventually develops and admits his feeling for her. There is a second guy, Wu Bosong (Gao Zhiting) who is a competitive swimmer and gains fame for his swimming. He is in love with Chyen Xiaoxi and competes with Jian Chen for her affection.

Spoiler 🚨 I had a hard time with this as I often do with Chinese dramas. The male is often cold and cruel to the female even more so than in other Asian films. And there is usually a nice guy that the girl does not wind up falling for. I know that plays out sometimes across all cultures and in real life but it is not my favorite story line for a romance.

I would rated this lower because I found the female lead's character somewhat embarrassing and even demeaning in the lengths she would go to in order to capture Jian Chen's attention. I also rated it down as I did not enjoy how cruel he could be to her at times. It is worth watching but not top of the list.

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