A romance show ruined by… romance?
This is my first time reviewing a drama here and I want to explain why I chose such a bad experience to start my drama reviewing journey. So here it is:The whole story is really fun to watch, at least the ML journey as a pro player is enjoyable and the different interactions between the teams is very interesting. For people who like esports, like myself, this would’ve been a dream… But then there’s the FL and all the shitty romance plot line.
The FL seems a bit funny at first, but she didn’t grow on me at all. The reason why is a recurring issue in chinese dramas, at least for me. The stereotypical silly, stupid and naive FL is pissing me off, and the actress didn’t help, actually, i felt like no one could act on this except for ML. The FL is always being put on these situations where it seems like she’s having a tough time and is taking care of everything by herself, but if you pay enough attention, she can’t do anything without the help of supporting characters. (btw her relationship with her bff was really weird that girl needs help
Acting was so bad I can’t even elaborate on that. ML tried really hard but no one really followed. The romance was really off for me, every single male character fell in love with FL who did nothing but asking for help the whole show… I wish the story was really about the competition itself so the romance would be the friends we made along the way.
I can’t help but compare to Falling Into Your Smile that managed to balance romance and fun esports content for the audience. But, again, the acting of both lead and supporting characters were a main part that we unfortunately didn’t have here. Also, I didn’t buy the FL’s dream of becoming a caster, it was probably the way the script did it, but still… terribly written.
I recommend this show to anyone who genuinely enjoys the typical chinese silly girl and typical tall bad boy drama. You won’t see much beyond that, so be warned. Didn’t work for me, but who knows?
P.S.: I’m sorry this is not proofread.
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romcom with added miscommunication and villains to keep it going
Life is too short for stressful drama. Why spend all that time watching and be stressed? Don’t our lives already provide enough of that?Summary of the series:
- somewhat Light hearted rom/com; series had great flow
- a bit of stress watching it, had to fast forward some due to the many miscommunications
- cute romance
- simpatico characters
- like a little bit of mystery mixed in there with the brothers and kidnapping
- some added villains, some struggles, calamity or miscommunications to cause more drama and stress
- it s a bit forgetful after watching it, ending is also a bit rushed and not extend the happiest for another episode
somewhat fun joyful with some stress series: watch only if you have time and have watched others
If you are looking for slow love story with gratuitous stress/drama, frequent miscommunications, insipid side stories, then this is for you.
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This review may contain spoilers
First things first, the biggest spoiler I'll give you but you'll be the most thankful for is the fact that there's minimal romance and it doesn't even happen or show up until like episode 25 but for sure episode 27 and above; WHICH IS CRAZY! Many parts of this will make you angry, it’ll pull at your heart strings or you’ll even be happy. You’ll have some tears and scream or even laugh. I came into this show with high expectations; extremely high because it was a new cast that I've rarely seen in anything else, I love gaming myself, I adore Love o2o and Go Go Squid and anything in that way which they're all non comparable but basically this is a gaming show, purely gaming with a side of romance and it's a wannabe melodrama with the family stuff that's going on. It had such high potential and good stuff going but in reality, they threw in so much random stuff it was hard to keep up with and there was a ton of new characters left and right that you start to forget others. Xiang Kong and Qiu Ying have wonderful chemistry but lets be real, Pei Xi was more obsessed with him than any other person in the beginning and then Pei Xi went from asshole to nice guy within 2 seconds with no backstory what so ever. With the couple as well, Xiang Kong and Qiu Ying went from fighting non stop to suddenly liking each other and being in love and I'm like ??? bro. Also the family was random and ridiculous even though they did warm my heart when they got along. Everyone had a story, everyone had drama going on, there was so many people such as the couple and all the different teams and all the different relationships and the brother and dad and new mom and then the EX GIRLFRIEND??? Useless. Even more useless that they bring drama within the last few episodes, like come on. This show had so much potential to be absolutely amazing but it fell on the romance part of it, it fell on the explanation part of it, there was so backstory of anything and everything just happened out of the blue and so quickly. I did like the nice characters, I hated all the bad characters, there was no sign of a huge love triangle but there were so many useless characters. Like everyone needed their own dedicated episode for how many different things were happening. Needless to say, it was easy to watch and some parts were worth it and cute but would I rate this any higher? Prob not. Would I rewatch it? If I ran out of something else to watch. The OST was cool though. The characters weren't bad at acting. The story fell short though definitely. But I liked the gaming aspect of it and if i'm not mistaken, they were playing Dota2 which is fun. Was this review helpful to you?
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Going into this drama, I really had no expectations at all, although I had watched Falling into your smile previously and had heard that the two dramas are pretty similar I didn't know what to expect going into this drama but all I can say is that it did not disappoint. I absolutely admired the lead couple together and individually, they both had such strong personalities but even when they were together they did not overshadow each other. I loved the fact that Qiu Ying (played by Wang Zixuan) wasn't afraid to pursue her dream, when she first started she knew nothing about the e-sports industry but as she learned more about it, she found her true calling in being a commentator for e-sports. I loved the fact that she fought for her dream, even though she was shot down and had to face unfair circumstances she fought for her dream and that's what mattered. I also absolutely adored Ji Xiangkong (played by Wang Yibo) for his selflessness, he always put his team before himself even if he didn't know them as well (VNG). He stole my heart when he sold his motorcycle to get Lin Yixuan in the team . His passion for the game and his passion to win was awesome to watch that though he faced so many setbacks he never gave up and he just rose stronger to pursue his dream. Though I was a little confused on what the heck was going on with the whole Mi Ya thing but let's not get into that right now.
I find it so adorable that the main couple not only do they grow together as a couple, but also individually in their own careers and they support each throughout. I loved how they made that promise of rising to the top of the world together and they were able to accomplish that, that one scene of them hugging at the "top of the world" somehow that made it all worth it.
I LOVED all the side characters, I didn't skip any scenes with the side characters but my favourite definitely have to be Lin Yixuan and Pei Xi. Lin Yixuan every time he was on the screen you were guaranteed a laugh however he was also more then just a comic relief, his loyalty towards JXK even after he left the team was commendable he was ready to fight with the world for JXK and that honestly melted me. I loved seeing his friendship with JXK and his relationship with Lu Yi Yi was equally adorable. Pei Xi was a character that I felt had a lot of depth, he had a lot of layers which at the first glance you might not be able to see. When we first see him we perceive him to be arrogant because of him lacking teamwork and wanting to play solo. But that is not the case sometimes you just have to dig deeper in order to find the real cause and same was the case with PX. I was actually really happy that he wasn't the typical second lead who falls in love with the fl and gets heartbroken. He instead was busy fanboying over the male lead and their duo was so much fun to watch. PX was willing to join phenix even if It was just as training partner, he just wanted to be around JXK and learn from him similarly JXK knew what PX need to get out of his shell and learn teamwork and I think their duo worked fabulously.
Also can we just take a moment to appreciate the entire pioneer's team, I genuinely found their friendship so cute and I love how they would just come on stage after every game to celebrate it felt like they were all one big family and that made my heart all fuzzy! Another thing that was done very nicely was the "villains" of the story, there wasn't one specific villain who was plotting and planning just against our leads. There were multiple people who became obstacles in the path of the lead characters and that made it more realistic and easy to believe. And I don't think the so called villains were truly evil it's more about what kind of choices you make. The acting honestly wasn't too bad could have been better but it wasn't like terrible that you can't watch it.
If you are someone like me who enjoys those heartwarming moments where everyone comes together to fight against a common enemy and you see them sort of become a family. This show is full of those moments specially in the last stretch, as someone who absolutely loves those moments I would definitely recommend watching this show even just for those little moments!
Overall, I really did enjoy the show specially the last stretch of the show and my favourite part that I will definitely be rewatching in the future :)
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CRYING MOMENT 101
I can’t believe I only found out about this drama now when I have been watching cdrama/kdrama since 2018. Esport genre is not my go to, actually the only esport drama I watched was “the kings avatar” when it released. I finished watching “falling into your smile” and I loved it. So I started looking for other esport dramas.When I first read the synoptic of this drama, I thought I was not going to like it because the main FL is not playing esport. She’s not a gamer. But I still gave it a shot and best believe I was wrong. The story line is cute. Has the classic tale where the ex love comes backs for the male lead and causes a disturbance to the current relationship. However it also had elements that I thought were different. It had a balance of both romance and gaming. I loved the male lead. The character he played was enjoyable. Never gave up, always persevered and made sure he protected the people he loved; like a true leader. However, I did feel like there was not enough hype for him. His known as ‘battlefield swindler master’.. known to have great tactics and has a fanbase so somewhat of a celebrity in the esport industry yet it didn’t feel like that. I feel like there should have been more interactions with the fans. Regardless, I genuinely loved the story line. I loved how while he was trying to win the world championship, she had her own goals. They both made a promise and the both kept that promise. And let’s not forget the enemy to lovers trip in this drama. I was all for it. I really loved every supported role in this drama. for instance, yi xuan, pei xi, lu yi yi. They made the show 10x funnier. The bromance between pei xi and male lead had me dying. Honestly, I can go hours praising this drama, but if you’re reading this and contemplating to whether watch it… Watch it. Such a underrated. Made me laugh, angry, cry but was all worth it. This drama has become my fave esport gaming cdrama along with ‘falling into your smile.’ Now I’m going through the hard part to find a new drama just like this :(
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I'm lowkey into gaming, so dramas involving esports always get my attention. Falling Into Your Smile is my favorite one, but Gank Your Heart climbed up my favorites list.
I loved how the protagonists' love story developed. It wasn't rushed, but they did have a lot of misunderstandings, mostly because of Miya, I think that a heart-to-heart conversation could've avoided that. The villain is also really good, really mean and ruthless until the end, but I'm glad she redeemed herself because she seemed mostly insecure.
The other characters didn't matter too much to me, but I still liked them. Didn't skip their scenes, but I was mainly invested in the protagonists' stories. Their acting was so good that outshined the rest of the, mostly the ML's acting. I'm aware he's one of the most famous Chinese celebrities, but I've never watched anything of his until now (I tried The Untamed but didn't understand and didn't like it). He's outstanding.
And to be honest, I was ready to give this drama a 7.5 or 8 until the last episode. It was so emotional! They gave us sad moments, adrenaline, happy moments, misunderstandings, redemptions, and a love of romance (but not enough kisses, ugh). This was a nice surprise!
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An engaging story of an e-sport player who is usually the game strategist so he isn't recognized as an important role. In the end, he decides to set up his own team with the help and support of those who live and understand him and finally achieving his goal of becoming the World Champion. He fights not only for himself, but he fights for his team, his mentors, his supporters and most importantly his country. This is a beautifully and realistically portrayed drama by #WangYibo to show his passion as an e-sport player and as a team strategist and leader. As we all know, the game can only be won when the team works as one as a united group who works together against the enemy not against other members of the team. I like the ending -- kind of expected it to happen -- but I'm not going to spoil it, you have to watch it to know and be touched by the story behind it. This is a story of love and friendship. I truly recommend this. BTW, you maybe surprised that a few of those on the cast are singers ???? The soundtracks are very nice with catchy tunes. Was this review helpful to you?
An Absorbing and Inspiring E-sports romance!
I thought I would give up on this drama after watching a couple of episodes but I am glad I prevailed because it turned out to be absorbing. The story between the leads take a while to develop and it was quite frustrating to watch the first 10 episodes when one misunderstanding and mishap happened one after another. The story is more than the romance; it is about aspirations, achieving one's dreams, perseverance and teamwork. My biggest gripe about the show is about the villains - there is no shortage of them and they are quite a cliche but I guess there would have been no story without them. Although the story developed slow, the last few episodes moved too quickly and the ending made me feel shortchanged. It would have been more complete if the leads had more time together at the end. There could also have been more intimate scenes between the leads. The portrayal of the e-sports competitions was very exciting and kept me at the edge of my seat. I loved the team camaraderie amongst the team members and it was so touching to see the team coming together to fight for the championships. Overall, I definitely recommend this show and although I thought that I wouldn't rewatch due to the slow pace and the many complex situations, I am rewatching now!Was this review helpful to you?
She was responsible and kind but not someone you can easily just step on.
I Just watched The King's Avatar and Go Go Squid and had previously watched Love o2o, although they are different there are certain similarities (well, they mostly have the same themes LOL) I think this perfectly filled the lack of romance from the king's avatar, a better leading lady from go go squid and as sweet as the love story of Xiao Nai and Wei Wei.
The entire drama is cute and a definite "feel good" kind of drama. It'll make you laugh, cry and jump in joy. There were ups and downs but it the time that I spent on watching this was definitely worth it.
This drama introduced Yibo to me so, Kudos!
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Smitten like a kitten
That intro song is just such an enjoyment.And the reason why next episode is something to look forward.
Gaming is not exactly my cup of tea. However watching Wang YiBo role as a gamers (and a top one he is) that’s another thing. Let’s called it a very hot and steamy gamers he is.
Giving this series a shot was like getting crisp out of the chips. You just can not stopped. This storyline is made good and well rendition.
Soundtrack is a class. Hit all the right marks as each scene backsound. Really suit with the mood.
Character Characters. They are actually doing great. Everyone is up their game. And has create a very pleasant sketches.
The romance is there. Plus one with the spicy jealousy. Acidic misunderstandings. Manipulating white lies. And the all in confession session . Tearful breakups. Epic reconciliation.
Rewatching values, is a TEN. Because, why not let us watch Wang Yibo brooding and bothered for a girl. If that is what it takes to gets us girls all dreamy.
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The plot was neither too extreme nor too fluffy and had the perfect combination of both. By extreme, I meant that although there were plots regarding backstabbing, they knew exactly when to stop. the development of each character while facing the difficulties won my heart. Ji Xiang Kong's strong and brave personality is worth mention in this case as in the whole drama, he never wavered, even if it is during following his dream or chasing the girl he likes and he always kept them his personal affairs separated during chasing his dreams. Pei Xi, Ah Xuan and all the other characters also had a very important position in this drama and without them, the plot would have been incomplete. The bromance and romance revolving around the characters were spectacular but I can't talk much about it without spilling spoilers. Although the ending was predictable, the journey towards that ending was worth it and in face, even the ending actually won my heart
When it comes to cast, I believe that all the cast were well selected and they all managed to bring out the characters to life. In other words, they managed to portray the characters perfectly.
While most of the viewers are here after watching Untamed, I actually watched this first and than paved my way towards the best drama of all time because of the actor Wang Yibo who was casted as the male lead here. in short, watching this drama was the best decision I ever made and I am glad I watched if before he Untamed.
This drama had some of the best music and OST that I ever heard. the music were very well suited with the scenes and every time I listen to the OSTs, I get lost in the amazing scenes of this drama. The title song of this drama, sung by Wang Yibo, The Most Burning Adventure, is worth a mention here
Rewatching drama regularly on the other hand is a torture for me. After knowing the story once and watching it again is not meant for me a s I know exactly what is gonna happen and even the journey seems boring to me. However, given the quality of this drama, I still manage to rewatch it every 3 months after forgetting all the tiny details in the meantime as no matter how many times I watch it, all the feeling that I felt in the first time comes rushing back again and watching it makes me excited every time. More like I start to miss the characters and this drama
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Not as good as the Classics, but does hit the spot
After watching Falling Into Your Smile, Love O2O, Go Go Squid and the King’s Avatar, there are pretty good dramas to compare Gank Your Heart to. Unlike the other dramas, Gank Your Heart doesn’t have the “Game” Experience, I enjoy to watch. In Love O2O, they have the characters dress and act in the game, which I loved. In King’s Avatar or You are my Glory, there are heavy animations to carry out the verbal description. I guess Gank Your Heart didn’t have the budget for that.I liked the Casting a lot, there were a lot of people I recognized, although I haven’t watched Untamed yet (it’s on my watch list), the ML is fairly decent and very adorable to watch. I was a huge fan of the FL, she’s so pretty and for once, they didn’t frump her up! I love her outfits and hair, she looked like a normal girl.
I felt like the beginning was a little slow and it focused more on the character’s background and interactions, rather than the game play itself, which can be good for some people if that is what they rather focus on.
The second half gets more into the drama and typical romance troupe where you have the ex’s come back and second and 3rd males trying to get the girl. I did enjoy that since it’s more of my C drama formula I am use to.
I wasn’t entirely sold on the ML because his character is some-what dismissive of the FL and his choices is fairly questionable, but overall he does prevail I guess.
I thought the drama was okay. It wasn’t extraordinary, but if you like the gaming genre, it does hit the spot.
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