I liked it from episode 1-16. I still continue to adore it episode 17-25 but I began to question myself if I should continue watching it. From episode 26 onwards, I really really feel like dropping the show. It's no fun anymore. I began to get annoyed with the constant flashback of Han Shangyan's backstory, the uninteresting side-characters stories wherein there's just so many of them. And Hu Yi Tian being one of the main leads wasn't given enough screentime (not that I am complaining since I am not his fan, but as a team captain of the group, I think he deserves some spotlight).
The drama was off to a good start but it progresses way too fast. The relationship of the main leads was given to us at a speed of light. They were already gf-bf in just about a few episodes and it felt like they haven't gone into the process, lol. Then Tong Nian's attitude became like a 'stalker' so obsess like a girl madly yet blindly in love with a handsome guy. And Han Shangyan who's still a virgin at the age of 30 is spoiling the girl too much that at times it feels like she is more of her daughter than a girlfriend.
I don't have anything to say in the acting department. Both leads delivered their roles perfectly well especially Yang Zi, she indeed suited for cutesy roles like these however, I find her character here a bit too immature at times.
Also, call me conservative but I don't like the idea of them getting married when the girl is just barely 20y/o. Oh well, it's their choice but still...
Overall, the drama was enjoyable for the first few episodes but dragged down towards the end. I believe it was purposely stretched to accommodate more episodes because as usual "business comes first". Unless you have so much free time, you may end up finishing the entire drama. It's not too bad, I can say mediocre at best. I was able to finish it though I abused the fast-forward and skip button of my laptop.
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Acting great; Plot lacks depth
This is my first review ever, but I felt it had to be done, I had to vent. I agree with many of the other reviewers Tong Nian's character lacks depth and is as they've said bit of an airhead. I believe in love at first sight, I'm sure it exists for people so that wasn't too difficult to believe. What annoyed me though was her pursuit of the ML, at times I felt she lacked even minor self-respect following him like a lost puppy when he clearly wanted nothing to do with her. And despite him being written as a cold character, from the start I always felt he had a lot of depth, but that was based on background alone, he practically supports and encourages youngsters in pursuit of their dreams. He had to have done something right for them to stick with him, his reputation alone wouldn't justify sticking around if he was a jerk. So I felt it was more of an outward demeanor but inside he was actually kind and was fully capable of loving deeply, he clearly values relationships enough to stay hurt by them yet still desire to fix it in spite of his pride. I get one losing their individuality for their other half, it happens frequently in real life and that is something Tong Nian lost, but then again I felt she really didn't have much of a personality other than being kind and infatuated with love. When the ML tells her don't think about love so much, it was perhaps the funniest part because she kind of does. She's school smart but not street smart. Also you don't really see her do much of singing as expected or anything really, even in the relationship she was utterly helpless while the ML was capable of cleaning, cooking and sooo many things. Parts that annoyed me were her childlike moments, like drinking beer the second time for what? to get him in trouble and sleep over at his place, girl no. Or her clingy moments like when is he taking her to see his grandpa when the grandpa just left a day ago. The grandpa and parents I loved they were like real family members at least like mine I feel. However she never spoke up to tell the truth on certain occasions when it could have helped and if you love someone you stick up for them unless I'm wrong, and you can do it respectfully. The actors were wonderfully chosen but the MC script was awful, too naive and not enough character growth on her part. I am also still lost on how he ended up loving her, sure they were sweet at the end but when did he start loving her she was so clingy, it felt more like he took her in as a lady to care for and watch out for but falling in love with her seemed like a bit of a reach. The actors were great but really the script had gaps or something, either way I'm going to read the novel and see if that clarifies anything but from what I've read it's more or less the same.Was this review helpful to you?
This show gave me some "Love O2O" vibes, although the male lead wasn't as handsome as Yang Yang, but TBH their story is very much better :) I love how they slowly build up their puppy love and with all the 神助攻 (loveline helpers) of the show (K&K kiddos, main leads' friends and family members) that makes the couple fall in love! Some scenes were just cute and funny, you will smile widely while staring at your screen without noticing because the couple is just too adorable!
So if you are looking for something light and funny, give this a try and you will not regret :)
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This review may contain spoilers
I just completed watching this C-Drama and I really really loved this show. I enjoyed the chemistry between the leads and all the member of team K&K... their dedication, responsibility, persistence and hard work is commendable?????? (specially Hu Yitian). It's literally worth watching. I think I have my feeling attached to go go squid. Though han shangyan (male lead) look had cruel expressions but honestly his personality is displayed as one of the best and most warmth characters. I genuinely loved this drama alot. I still adore this drama alot though its kinda lengthy in terms of c drama but honestly speaking If you watch this drama it would be one of the best rom com drama ever watched. Must watch!!!!!!!!.In this show FL (tong nian) reflect outstanding personalities trust, love, responsibility, desire, support, temper, behavior and bonding towards her family and Han Shangyan.
Li Xian?, I'm really a fan of his acting and his good looks... he is a real gun god???. In Han ShangYan character he had the F*ck off face all the time, but because of his drop dead good looks?you can't get annoyed watching his ugly personality. He reflects best person through their character and inspire many adults for everything he did.
Here the love story is damn cute and lovable with all understandings. I just say what a outstanding performance by all characters... All the characters in the drama makes up to the main characters and makes you to not only watch for the leads but other characters as well
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Weak Story, Loose Ends and no Romance Chemistry.
Since I used to be a PC gamer (SWG WoW etc.), this show attracted me. In addition, I was hoping to see some romance like the profile of the show described. I was in for a big disappointment. But more about that later.The sports gaming concept surprised me. Cybersecurity is a big topic today. I’m not sure how interesting that is to the viewers, but it wasn’t visible anyway. The show is about Han Shang Yan and the people around him. K&K and the CTF world is Han Shang Yan’s life; that much is clear. His only joy in life comes from this interaction. I had a hard time understanding all the camaraderie and past grievances. The story spent so much time trying to make it all significant, but I couldn’t buy into it. Let’s say they had some misunderstandings that lasted for ten years. Were they were life-altering misunderstandings? Maybe, but I couldn’t feel the emotion of the whole thing. Was it Han Shang Yan’s never-ending stoic face that killed the feeling? Crying in the bathtub was way beyond weird.
Like most C-Dramas, this one moved slowly at times. Some of the scenes looked staged with little attention to detail. A little more attention to that detail would have made it more realistic. Repeating scenes is also a habit you see in C-Dramas, especially looking back in time.
Back to the romance, the age difference between the FL and the ML didn’t bother me. They are only one year apart in real life, so it was hard to make that an issue. However, watching Han Shang Yan (Li Xian) acting like a boyfriend was like watching a blind man searching for something he dropped. You know he will find it eventually, but you are not sure if you should be watching him explore. It’s not the first time I’ve seen Li Xian play a stoic, rude, arrogant character who never smiles, but it does wear on you after a while. He has a great smile. I wish he would have used it more in the beginning. In this show, he calls her a child, a kid, and a little girl. I hope that was a translation issue because who goes around calling their girlfriend a child or a little kid. Their romance, if you can call it that, progresses gruelingly inch by inch. Why would any girl in her right mind want anything to do with this guy? At this point, no matter what they do to redeem this character, it may not be enough. That’s the problem with the 40+ episode dramas. They dig the hole so deep that the character who crawls out of the hole is never the same.
Eventually, they come together as a couple if you can call it that. I didn’t feel the chemistry at all. Are these two not allowed any passion in this relationship? I’m talking about the kind of passion that drives the love you feel for the other person. It shows on your face, and it shows in your body language; it spills from your heart. Unfortunately, none of that showed on screen. Now the kisses. If you can’t commit to the kisses, the romance will look awkward no matter what you do. Kissing is not only about lip contact; it’s a mindset of emotion. They might as well have been doing a fist bump; it would look less awkward.
It’s was evident that the only thing that matters is the CTF world. With Han Shang Yan at the center of this universe. The show spent very little time thinking about Tong Nian’s capabilities, aspirations, and dreams. When the show started, and Han bought Nian a stack of games, I thought she would become an integral part of this world. Since she was a computer genius, it would have been interesting for her to become a game wizard. The story, however, continued to keep her on the outside. She seemed to be a toy for Han to keep himself occupied. He pats her on the head a lot. Is she his pet? Why does she wear a stupid backpack everywhere she goes? Is it because she’s 19 years old, and that’s the way they show her age? When she turns 20, she gets to take the backpack off? If they wanted to make her look like a schoolgirl, they succeeded. Of course, doing that lessens the romance, the awkward proposal, and everything else attached to the couple.
The music was all over the place. At times it was beautiful, and other times it felt like elevator or funeral music.
Subtitles:
I think they overused the word pitiful. In English, it just isn’t used in the context they use in this story. There were a few other translations that felt a little off. Why did Han call his teammates children? Why not use the term guys, young men, or even boys? Calling Tong Nian a child or little kid all the time was either a bad translation or a lousy script, you pick. But overall, I thought the subtitles were decent. I would give them a 7.5.
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Thanks Li Xian and Yang Zi for bringing out this pure and fluffy chemistry to screen. And to all the side characters, esp the K&K boys, you guys are the scene stealers and you know that.
Go Go Squid! jiayou!
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A story on fighting for your dream
This gave me a very bad first impression that I almost dropped it. The second hand embarrassment I felt for Tong Nian as she kind of stalked Han Shangyan in the first few episodes was just too much. After Episode 4, it got better. I did not really like the main romance because I felt that Tong Nian was too submissive. It's good thing that he never really took advantage of her. Grandpa was their matchmaker, without him they would not get together or get back with each other. The second CP of Mi and Yaya made up for the sweetness I was looking for in this show.More than the romance, the journey of team solo as they fight for country pride either as individuals or as a group was the main essence of this show.
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This review may contain spoilers
Spoilers and a very honest review
As you can read in the headline this will be a very honest review.I will start by mentioning that I am a Computer Science University Teacher from Europe. Keep this info in mind while reading this review.
Starting with the Story, I am more than aware that this drama is based on a book ( I did not read it yet) so I do not know if the problem was in the book or with the team that decided to make the adaptation. There were lots of inconsistences that I found rather annoying . I get it that the main theme is romance so there was a focus on the love story and the characters background but I think it was to much. I did enjoy the acting of the cast, they did their best with what they had, they would've give more if the script and the story developed in a different way.
Starting with the thing that annoyed me the most: CTF( Capture the Flag) . "Go Go Squid!, a Chinese television series, is based around training for and competing in highly stylized CTF competitions ."[Source Wikipedia] I hated the fact that they stylized CTF so much. For someone with a background in Computer Science it was painful to watch and I skipped a lot of the competitions scenes because of this.
The next point that made my blood boil was how the Female Lead was supposed to have an IQ of 140 and to be double majoring at around 20 years old but yet she is so dumb. Her character was so good if only the production would've made some different choices. Before knowing her IQ and that she is double majoring and all the other amazing stuff she is supposedly doing, I was thinking that she was your average girl ,but I am telling you this she is not. In Computer Science even though you major in a filed you still have a minimum of knowledge about other majores. Her majores are AI and Cyber Security and after learning that I was even more mad at the production team. 1st Her second major is Cyber Sec, CTF is a competition in the field of Cyber Sec and from the beginning it was clear that she had no idea about CTF 2nd. All that she did in this series to really "showcase" her talent was to make some Mobile Apps, Websites and Desktop Apps that have nothing to do with her majors. 3rd Even though she is not a gamer, if you have even the slightest connection to the Computer Science field you know that moving a character in a game is either done using the arrow keys or "AWSD" ones, but in one of the first episodes her "dumb and not so tech fan" cousin has to teach her that.
Now moving onto the Male Lead, as mentioned before even though he was only interested in CTF, that is part of the Cyber Sec field he still would've been able to understand part of Female Lead's work but the production team just made it look like they came from two different worlds. Also I cannot believe that he needs assistance from his team members to create accounts on social media to stalk his girl.
These things were so upsetting to me. I would've loved a very different progression of the plot with more focus on her making the team better with her programming skills not only by getting them a coffee machine. Another way they would've made the story better was to let the Female Lead to be only a singer.
With this in mind the love story between the lead characters was not the best. But I did enjoy the second leads Little Mi and Yaya. They had such a cute love story and I would love to see a new season about their story.
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Obviously there were small elements that didn't suit my tastes. For example, I didn't appreciate the fact that the FL looked more like a child, both in behavior and in clothing than a young woman. As well as the ML was always brooding and almost mono-expressive. But overall the author was able to write a wonderful friendship/love story around the concept he choose, e-sport. The soundtrack became my addiction, specially the intro/ending music of each episode.
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I hope it gets better, it didn't
I was enjoying the storyline, right into they made Tong a mumbling, mindless lady. She is supposed to be a genius, so why did the writers do that to her. When Han told them that she was his gf, she should of stated no I'm not. For some reason Chinese Writers/Producers love to make the leading young ladies mumbling, tell me what to do, I can't stand up to a man women. Why? They always make the men strong, demanding of females, Do what I say, pouting and arrogant. Why? How about making a storyline where both the Male and Female are positive role models. Just because the female isn't weak minded and a codependent person doesn't mean they can't fall in love. It's getting really old always having a so called arrogant, don't care about any one else, demeans women towards the end leading men. They always says sorry, lady forgives them and the get together. I agree with Lan's mother, he is too old for her. Tong is portrayed as a stalking. mindless, naïve, submissive person. I will bet if Han told her to get down and bark like a dog, she would gladly.Ep11 was really powerful. You can tell they use to be very good friends. Something happened which pulled them apart. It's a shame, that happened. Han is a bore. He acts inappropriate towards Tong with impunity. I am trying to like him, but as of now it isn't happening. I am glad that I am knowing more what happened in his past which makes him act this way. Han has a personality of a rock.
I have to ask: Is it a custom in China where the man pats the female on the head like a pet? I know where I am from, there would be a fight, if a man did that to a female.
There are some really good laughs in this. Just like I said; you can tell the pouting Han is beginning to change (so predictable). It is a complicated story land and if you don't watch it closely you will miss it. The storyline drags in part, too many flash backs. I am 14 episodes in and I still don't like him. Isn't Tong supposed to be a Brainiac? Tong totally disregarded what her mother told her. Lan promised her mother not to have contact Tong. How many times did he break that with no consequences?
I am going to keep watching to see where it is going to go. I like the supporting cast, great chemistry. There was no chemistry between tong and Lan. The only person talking common sense was Tong's mother. The father was an enabler. No father would want Lan for a son-in-law. Tong turned out to be a submissive stalker. She knew nothing about love, but she loves a guy approximately 10 years her senior. What, Lan couldn't find a woman around his age? In the end I disliked both of main characters.
How in the world can someone give this series a 10!?
This series is 20 episodes too long. This was a waste of 3 days of my time. I will not watch this a second time.
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overrated
i forced myself to finish this drama and still fails to see why this drama received such rave reviews.FL is creepy stalker who is way too aggressive yet she is forgiven by drama gods for her crazy behaviour because she looks pretty and acts docile.
ML smirks too much, thinks too much of himself and seems to fall for FL only because he keeps bumping into her and was forced to dating her.
The chemistry was thin.
The plot was non existent - the whole story consists of ML + FL 'building their relationship' around ML's schedule of gaming in the hope of becoming #1 in the country?
when i say building relationship - i mean the FL gives endless (creepy) support - while the ML takes it all for granted but sometimes act chivalrous to FL as payback.
Way too many flashbacks - we get it, SOLO was awesome, then disbanded because of personal issues of the leader ? like the leader not allowed to have personal issues?
the issues was between him and his GF - why must the team be broken up over iit?
i know the ML gave a whole speech about the why - still, i dont get it.
overall - watch if you like computer hacking thing and/or super big fan of the ML/FL
skip if you are looking for a solid romance/character development drama
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