Beautiful yet bittersweet & youthful love story centered around many aspects of love
I should preface this review by first stating that the majority of c-dramas I get invested in are historical dramas, not many modern or youth dramas. Yet I fell in love with this drama within the first few episodes, much to my own shock. I thought I'd just watch it casually or when I wanted something fluffy rather than angsty and dark. But I soon binged up to all the available episodes, that's how immersed I felt in the story.Now that I've explained my love and attatchment to their story, as it's rare for me to be invested in a drama and main pairing like I was, I can explain why I enjoyed the majority of the story and I reccomened it to anyone with an open mind about this story.
Firstly, the story. I haven't read the orginal book but I could tell that the source material helped the writers create such a fun and exciting story off the bat (with fire crackers giving us the start to the story, literally) Anyways, I was instantly gripped by the dynamic between the leads, Shiyi and Xiaoju, which felt sort of similar to the love story dynamic of Anne and Gilbert (From Anne of Green Gables) which could certianly be a reason as to why I enjoyed watching their story unfold so much, as that book was part of my childhood, along with the mini-movies. The reason I found these two similar is because it delievers that cheeky teasing boy x girl who fights back yet is ultimately quite sensitve to his teasing at times, and they bicker, like a LOT. As well as the fact that Shiyi falls for her first, which makes the way he constantly teased her at first even funnier considering how he falls and has a crush on her before he can even come to terms with it himself.
I thought the side-characters were interesting enough as well (there's a scene with the second leads, Huang Jun and Letao, towards the end that actually led me to tears even though I didn't quite expect it from them, so their story is anything but dull.) I know many viewers were somewhat dissapointed by how Xiaoju was crushing on Chang Leng for so long, but I think that's part of what made me want to keep watching. Her pining after this guy who didn't pay her much attention after he found someone he liked, she became basically an after thought to him, but she was never an after thought to Shiyi. We as the viewers get to see first hand how nice he actually is to her and all that he does for her, even if he likes to tease with his words and deflect his feelings a lot. If this kind of drama sounds like it would intruige you, I'd advise you to watch for characters who all make mistakes in love! ALL of them. No one is perfect.
This is also a c-drama with high quality acting from both mains, and most of the supporting cast. Hu Yixuan did such a great job with the conflicts at the beginning centered around her mother and her, specifically her mother's obvious favorment of her brother over her, which isn't a rare trope, but I thought she portrayed those emotions of an older sister particularlly well. And Richards Wang stood out to me as skilled right away, he pulled off the goofy, comedic relief male lead off successfully, and I've certianly seen other actors be unable to pull this off. Another thing that struck me was their beautiful chemistry together, they had to potray leads with a friendship that dated back to high school full of teasing and that kind of acting can come off as rather fake if the actors aren't comfortable with each other but you could tell they were and understood what seemed natural for their characters in interacting.
Overall, I think if you want a drama that does slowburn well, with only a little big of dragging at the end (in my opinion they should've cut college life off a bit earlier so we could get more of their adult life) but I understand they were following the original book and they made some good adjustments to the story as well. hehe. But the payoff is worth it! The chemistry is worth it! And don't be concerned about the 2nd male lead being in the way too much or anything, Shiyi and Xiaoju become best friends basically in the middle of the drama and this leads to them being together the majority of the time. Lots of fluff and tropes done right! I'll miss this drama and I'd love to rewatch it some day. Give it a try if this review sounds like you'd be in the mood for it!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Best drama of this year
There was no villain, no toxic ex, just a beautiful realistic story. The leads were so connected. Each character has its own story to say. This drama is not for those who are on the cheesy kiss. But if you're on a good story, this is for you.I love how Shiyi was always there for her. He truly deserves everything in this world for being so honest and kind. His character development will surprise you.
Next, Lin You's character development was so realistic. We did a lot of mistakes, and she showed the same. Huang Jun in the last cried and regret, but I love how he let go of her. Also, the whole series was special because of Cheng Leng. He was the most mature one here.
Le Tao suffered a lot and yes, in the end, she was happy. I'm happy for her.
Xia Xiaoju taught us a lot. Like if you keep waiting, you'll lose your chance. She was special. And hats off to all the actors, they connected us with characters so perfectly.
In the end, this drama had lessons, friendship, pure love, the struggle of each character. It's much better than those cheesy dramas full of kisses. I can say it was the best drama of this year.
You'll cry, laugh, learn and repeat!
10/10 to A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT.
Was this review helpful to you?
Realistic and interesting Drama
I really like this drama, it's funny and really interesting. I also love the fact that it's realistic and shows that in life things may not always turn out the way me want but we have to make it work.I also love that it's not a typical love triangle drama where two boys fight for one girl. It's much more than that and it's really good.
My only problem is that the characters get on my nerves sometimes.... like sometimes they make decisions and I'm like "really"😒. But then again maybe that just goes to show that we are human and we all make mistakes.
Overall it's a really good drama
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
What could have been
The teasing male lead, the hilarious bickering, the girl pining over someone else while the male lead pines over her before she realizes who's been there for her all along...all this combine to form one of my favorite types of romance, so this drama starts with a winning formula...but it never actually uses it to its full potential.While I enjoyed seeing the female lead deal with unrequited love, it should not have SO. DAMN. LONG. She's deep in it for 25 episodes and it lingers for a few episodes after that, and we're hit with scene after scene of the female lead never taking the male lead seriously. Meanwhile, the second male lead (Cheng Lang) pines for another girl, and those two are given wayyy too much screentime. I never cared about them and they kept getting slow motion scenes.
We sort of have the opposite issue with the third couple, Qiu Le Tao and Huang Jun, who also have a really interesting story, but they get together so fast that I found it difficult to care for them. And I even like the ending of her reconnecting with their childhood classmate, but the show tried to give it shock factor and left the reveal till the very end, despite it being pretty obvious. The result of that was no time to develop the actual relationship, and a situation where her supposed best friend Xiao Ju didn't even know she was marrying until the engagement party.
In fact, the last few episodes are just filled with misunderstandings and time jumps, and I feel like the leads really lose their spark. They're supposed to be grown-up, but they're still written like children, and the show opts for "fun bickering" scenes when a more serious conversation was long overdue. The ending, overall, feels rushed and makes no sense, which is sad because the early high school and even college days were still enjoyable to watch despite the flaws.
Was this review helpful to you?
The One that Got away
I always avoided youth dramas. Not for any specific prejudice. I've just spent my whole life watching high school dramas and I'm kind of over it now. I also never really got drawn by the youth cdramas I came across until I found "A river runs through it". This show took me by surprise with just how good it was. The emotions it stirred were so authentic that it reminded me of my own unrequited love AND this amazing story with an unrequited love that I had read many years ago. It just brought back all those feelings and squeezed my heart. That's why I liked this show because it managed to reach a genuine and true emotion. Unhappy love is such a universal concept and the show manages to capture that bittersweetness to the fullest.Special shoutout: This show had one of the best opening titles. It was so cute that I didn't like to skip it.
You should watch this show if you like:
1. 90s retro aesthetic
2. Unrequited Love romances
3. FRIENDSHIPS
4. Complicated romances
5. Devoted male leads
6. School/University life
7. S l o w B u r n . . .
8. Weird epilogue
9. Love quadrangle...?
Plot: The show is based on a book and you can tell it was a proper novel because the show also has a very clear form to it with cohesive themes, tone, and pace. It stays focused on the concepts it tries to explore, has a good mix of comedy and melodrama, all the side stories are developed in thoughtful ways, and it keeps a firm grip on its themes. I thought the pacing here was nice. In fact, I have almost no complaints about the show's story except for how it ended...I'll get to it later. I loved the development of friendships and romances. The main romantic plot was just so good. The focus is not on the characters' studies so it's mostly sidelined to the melodrama but when there were b-plots focusing on it, I found them to be thoughtful and logical as well.
Acting: I saw Wang Rui Chang initially in TLB and I just really didn't like him there at all. I won't sugarcoat it; I thought he was pretty bad at acting. I was gonna avoid him forever. But then I started to watch this because everyone was raving about Lu Shiyi and I was blown away! He was just so good here. Perfect comedic timing. He just did such good physical acting and also with his voice and eyes and omg! What a talented young man! Hu Yi Xuan was also very good. Her performance did not overwhelm. She was not whiny, nor did she overact, she brought Xiao Ju to life. The supporting cast were just fine. I especially disliked Judy Qi's performance. It was bland and really watery. She had no soul and I just wanted her scenes to end as fast as possible. Everyone else was sufficient.
Music: I don't remember the music at all. Sorry!
Production: Shoutout to one of the most gorgeous and adorable opening titles. I wanted to say that because I thought it was just special and I loved it. This show is set around the turn of the century and the general vibe of the era was captured. I loved how they paid special attention to the male lead's weird fashion sense. It was very adorable. The sets were also meticulously made, everyone had their special style. The coloring of the show was pleasing to the eyes with a nostalgic haze that made the heartache more powerful.
Negatives: So the novel's ending is different from the show... as in it's not a happy ending. I think the creators wanted to reward the viewers with a happy ending and I appreciate that but the last two episodes of the show were some of the worst things I have ever watched and that's why this show is not a 10 for me! I almost lost all my faith in the scriptwriters because the moment they lost the book's guidance, the show just went to the dogs. If you stop at episode 34, you'll hate the ending but I think it saves the dignity of the production. Those last two episodes with their weird time jump are just skin-crawlingly bad. All the things that I complimented before: good writing, good acting, good lighting, and set design, it's like they all fly out the window. I have this theory that those were a part of the "extra" but they stuck it at the end as a consolation prize. I wish they hadn't. The main couple's dynamic is super off in those scenes; it's like they digress back to their initial state and lose their character growths, there's a scene that reads like r*pe to me...it's very weird, I hated it. Those two episodes are full of cliches and I would delete them out of existence if I could. Episodes 35 and 36 are not canon for me. They are just a bad dream I had after I finished watching the show. Don't get me wrong; I wanted that good ending so badly which is why I didn't stop after episode 34 but I wasn't satisfied with how it happened. It almost ruined the whole show for me. So even though the show has a happy ending, I still had to mourn when I finished watching t because it felt fake. It really didn't feel like the end was a part of the show.
Overall: I really loved this show. It was cozy, nostalgic, sweet, and funny in most parts but it also captured the bad parts of love in a way that the heartache was so palpable. Everyone was yearning for something they could not have. This added substance to this show and elevated it above an average youth drama and I wish more shows were like this. I recommend this show but my personal suggestion is to stop watching after episode 34 and just watch the extras!!!! It'll only be a little confusing!
Was this review helpful to you?
The rise of the new hero in C-drama-- appreciation for Charles Wang
At last a show which has developed multiple storylines for different characters. Very relatable charcters-- who hasnt met a Lu Shiyi, a playful mischievous, outspoken boy who is the life of his group but not the most sensitive chap around? A one woman man, who is solidly loyal through years despite the woman not really caring for him through most of it? A boy given to sports not the best scholar at school but the most clear thinking and hence most ambitious and successful individual of the group? I think Lu Shiyi is the most interesting male hero I have ever seen in any Chinese drama. What an amazing amazing boy and man he turns out to be.. Conventionally he is always shown a little less heroic than Cheng Lang-- a little less soft spoken, a little less understanding, a little less helpful, a little less "school idol"; but by God, he overtakes CL in every way as the story develops. You cant help rooting for this beautiful man-child who is devoted completey to the people in his life, is the solid rock on which all the drama of the entire group plays out. He supports everyone and stands for justice, even the betrayer room mate gets the right message from Lu Shiyi. Kudos to the young actor Charles Wang fr a marvelous portrayalWas this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Read this if you are thinking of watching this
I was excited to watch this drama because i like to watch youth dramas. If you don’t like love triangles then this drama isn’t for sure for you. The female lead through mostly half the drama was in love with the second male lead. At first, you know it’s commonly typical in these types of dramas but i feel like they stretched it for a long time. I would say 3 episodes before the last episodes, the female lead starts to show interest towards the male lead. It was very disappointing because it felt like the male main lead was the second male lead but he wasn’t. They had some cute moments but i felt very bad for the male lead through the whole time. You still get a happy ending though.Was this review helpful to you?
Have seen it thrice and still in love with the storyline❤️
One of my most favourite series.... the characters touch my heart in so many ways and I would highly recommend everyone to definitely watch this one! Those who like series with a good amount of episodes!! Throughout watching it with Xia xiaoju and Lu shiyi I cried a lot. Not to forget the title tracks and the music in the drama is love!! Even when the ending is different from the novel on which it was based, I prefer the ending of the series!! Glad they made them end up together!! ❤️ (●'◡'●)Was this review helpful to you?
A youth drama that shouldn’t be missed
Even with 36 episodes I felt that it’s not enough! I’m usually really picky when it comes to youth/coming of age dramas; but this was good.The acting of the casts was awesome, they each fit the character they were playing like a glove. Though I only know HYX from her other works, the rest of the casts was pretty new to me, but, their acting didn’t fail at all. In addition to the music? Fantastic.
The only part that I felt that can be a little better was the time skip at the end and the romance/pursuing part for the leads… it felt a little to rushed. I mean, I don’t think viewers mind the extra episodes where they delve more into the leads?!
The drama really grew on me episodes after episodes.
You really see how each character grew from high school students into their adulthood. It’s not all happy and fluffy stuff in here for sure, you got through ups and downs and learn a lot before a happy ending
Ps. Can I just say that HRC looks abit like a mixture of hwang in yeop and IN from SKZ
Was this review helpful to you?
A BEAUTIFUL DRAMA - PLEASE WATCH IT!
I have a master's thesis oral defense coming and instead of studying I'm crying like a fool hereeee my tears won't stop!!!!!! This is the kind of drama that you don't wish to end!!! Actually I signed up on MyDramalist just to leave this review. I love how it wasn't overly fantasized because not everybody ended up with someone - it showed the reality of life and of love. You gotta be brave enough to let go to find your happiness like Tao Tao, sometimes things are not gonna end up all rainbows and butterflies no matter how kind you are and how much you fight your love for a person like Cheng Lang, you have to move forward even though you are still hurting like Huang Jun, sometimes you just don't realize the one for you is just right beside you like Xiaoju and shi yiiii he's just an angel I WISH WE ALL FIND OUR SHIYI who will be there for us in all our ups and downs... I''m gonna miss them all!!! I hope there's a second season for this :(((( We didn't get enough Shiyi x Xiaoju sweet moments huhuhu NOW MY NEXT PROBLEM IS: HOW DO I MOVE ON FROM THIS?Was this review helpful to you?
Worth to watch!
I like this drama so much! Currently I watch 4 drama series together and this one I like it most, but I the harder thing is I need to wait this drama to come out. That's why I watch other drama too!This drama is about... friendship, the wonderful moment in youth, the parents loves for their children's and love somebody without expecting the return.
Funny moment, crazy moment and sad moment. The actors and actress are awesome. The male and female main lead play so good! I can't wait to watch the next episode!! My gosh....
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
I just love it so much.
I’ve rewatched this drama many times and this is my first time giving a review on it.I used to be a little upset when it was still airing because I thought everything was so slow, and it actually is but, I can’t be so negative about it. I still enjoyed it a lot anyway.
I just want to say that I love every single person around the main leads, except the cheater (you know who if you watched it, not giving more detailed spoilers).
I got to know Wang Rui Chang thanks to this drama and I completely fell in love with him. I’ve got the biggest crush on him since last year, LOL.
I don’t know what to say, I just loved every part of this drama. The colors, the music, the "aesthetic" (?), the characters, the actors + actresses, the plot, the development, the good, sad, happy moments... Just everything.
I have watched a few coming of age Chinese dramas and I have loved all of them but no otherhas hit me as hard as this one, probably because I can relate more to most of the characters in here, very personal.
This is my comfort Chinese drama, definitely.
Was this review helpful to you?
