This review may contain spoilers
More friends than lovers..
A deep bond forms between the misunderstood “bad boy” of the school & the abandoned new girl who’s got problems of her own.This is an easy youth drama to watch when you’re in the mood for a great band of friends who always have each other’s backs as they go through the ups & downs of growing up. Life isn’t easy, but it’s definitely better with your forever squad on your side!
I’m a big fan of the ML in roles like these! I really enjoyed his scenes as he’s able to say so much without ever even talking. And he always has such great chemistry with his character’s friend group that I swear they have to be actual friends in real life, haha.
The FL felt a bit stiff to me. I’ve watched her in multiple dramas &… I’m not sure why, but she never really seems to emote. She just feels blank to me so I have a hard time connecting with the characters she plays. No shade, though, because I most certainly wouldn’t be able to act in front of people at all so I have no room to judge or determine her level of talent!
This has:
- Familial drama for both Leads
- Slight enemies to lovers feel
- High school & college days
- Separation & rough reunion
- Super toxic mother (FL’s)
- Extremely loyal friends
- Athletic & stoic ML
- Strong & independent FL
- No love triangle
- Barely any skinship
The Leads have a very healthy relationship amongst themselves, but also with their friends. They’re both mature & brave, willing to sacrifice as well as forgive which shows a great depth of strength. They’ve each got legit trauma that they help heal in one another. And while I loved their bond of friendship & how loyal they are to each other, I have to admit that they didn’t quite pull off the role of lovers. They just felt more like best buddies. Which isn’t necessarily bad, it’s just not at all what I was expecting or what I prefer to see between Leads. Still a worthwhile, one-time watch though.
BONUS: if you’re a “When I Fly Towards You” drama fan, then you’ll be happy to see the actors of RangRang & Gu Ran reunited as besties here too!
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-⬇️ S P O I L E R S 🚫 B E L O W ⬇️-
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The things I always want to know 😏😉…
- First(real)Kiss : ep.14💋
- Together : ep.14 👩🏻❤️👨🏻
- BreakUp: Nope 💖
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Episode 1 - 5 got me excited to watch, but the rest episode is just too plain.
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Disappointing Ending
This drama seemed to reach the perfect ending by episode 15, when Lin Yujing returned to Puicheng for Shen Juan. It felt like the characters had finally grown and were ready to be together. The moment seemed like the ideal conclusion, leaving us hopeful for their future.But then the drama continued, and it just didn't live up to expectations. The extra episodes added unnecessary drama and conflict that didn't really improve the story. Instead of focusing on their growth, the main couple went through more problems that felt repetitive and forced. They just kept dragging the story along, and the ending wasn't even a fulfilling one.
With all that said, I would've given this drama a 10/10 had it ended on episode 15, with a more satisfying and complete feeling. Adding more episodes in this drama only took away from what could've been a perfect conclusion.
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not what was promised?
I stopped after 6 episodes because I could feel the tone shift in episode two. the first episode promised something very exciting with a mood I’m not used to in this genre (darker, moodier). but it quickly shifted into something typical and the chemistry evaporated from leads within a few episodes. what happened 😄they made the ML almost perfect which I think was detrimental to this show. i thought it would be more like star-crossed lovers, but i could quickly tell it would be annoying misunderstandings that would cause the upset in the main couple. The reviews seems to agree, god bless those who made it even further than me! I like both actors so I was disappointed. Zhou yi ran needs to pick better scripts.Was this review helpful to you?
Quite Enjoyable
To each their own, but I personally really enjoyed the drama. I agree with majority that the trajectory of the plot changed in the second half but I also think it wasn't "out of the blue". It changed bc they changed. They weren't kids anymore and were considered adults in the second half. Making their own decisions and facing the consequences of those decisions. We also got to see what happened in ML's past and FL's fighting certain "boulders"(iykyk) to find her own path for her own life.Without spoiling anything, I would say the first half is about two kids with troubled homes/past who find comfort and support in each other. Second half, young adults who reconnect and develop deep feelings for each other while supporting each other's dreams.
It isn't as romantic and fluffy as WIFTY, but the leads still have amazing chemistry. I think it was nicely developed too. And there are definitely some kicking my feet in the air moments too.
Definitely watch the special ep to get some more answers.
I think if you go into this drama thinking it will be as romantic and cute as WIFTY, you'll be greatly disappointed. ZYR's characters in both dramas are drastically different, but tbh.. I might like Shen Juan a little more ?
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This review may contain spoilers
A Good Watch When Your List Is Empty
So I might come off a little awkward here—this is my first review and I’m still new at this, so please bear with me.---
1. OST / Music
From my perspective, the music throughout the show was somewhat repetitive and predictable, but still very soothing, light, and pleasant. Even when the tunes repeated, they somehow felt fresh and helped push the emotions the show wanted to convey. Because of that, the music worked well in its own way.
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2. Acting / Cast
I’ve watched a few hundred Asian dramas, and while this cast isn’t among the absolute best, it’s definitely not bad either. The casting felt appropriate—nothing seemed out of place. There were moments where emotions could have been portrayed better, and some scenes didn’t feel fully sincere, as if the mood was almost right but slightly off. Still, the flow usually recovered quickly.
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3. Rewatch Value
Before talking about the story, I wanted to mention rewatch value. In my opinion, it’s almost zero unless there’s a very specific reason. The story feels unique in small ways but overall quite generic, so I personally wouldn’t rewatch it.
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4. Story
The story is similar to several youth dramas I’ve seen before.
First Half:
The buildup to the main couple was very solid—around a 9/10 for me. The emotions of fear, despair, and restraint were clear, especially in the scenes with Lin Yu Jing’s mother. As viewers, we could really feel that tension. Sometimes it felt like Lin Yu Jing should rebel more, and a few reactions didn’t seem fully justified.
Lin Yu Jing’s mom was portrayed strongly as an authoritative figure with her own strict methods. By the end, her character development was visible and satisfying, but it didn’t feel very smooth—it seemed too sudden, like “Was it really that easy to change?” The story could have handled this transition better.
Shen Juan:
Some of his restraint in the first half felt overly generic and even a bit harsh, which made certain scenes awkward. He did make up for it later, though. The rumor subplot made sense in context, but also felt confusing at times.
Lin Yu Jing:
She was honestly the best acted character. She showed a wide range of emotions. I do have a few minor complaints, but they’re small enough to ignore.
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Friend Groups
(Wang Yi Yang, He Song Nan, Xu Ru Yi, Gu Xia) and brother Fu Ming Xiu.
We could see character development in most of them—they grew into better versions of themselves.
Fu Ming Xiu:
His initial hostility felt unnecessary, but it did show emotion. His character development was quick but very satisfying. I wish he and his girlfriend had more screen time—we only really saw the start of their relationship, nothing more.
Song Nan & Ru Yi:
Their storyline felt strange and somewhat unnecessary to the plot. It needed stronger performances and small story tweaks for more depth.
Wang Yi Yang:
He had the weakest self-restraint and acted more impulsively than thoughtfully. Every friend group has someone like this, but here it felt exaggerated.
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Overall, the drama had solid emotional moments and decent performances, even if parts of the story were generic or uneven.
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A bright smile but the story made me very disappointed
I'm so really sorry to say but the plot story is very common, flat and is not suppose a teenager do like they really look very mature even though they comes from a broken home.Is so hard to finished moreover there are 30 episodes! Honestly, I want to give up on episode 11 but I try to survive the end and finally I'm here now for add my review. The story really disappointed me, I thought they could finish it well at the end of the episode but unfortunately it looked strange and I didn't get the gist of the story because they were too focused on Shen Juan and Lin Yujing's romantic relationship. There are 30 episodes but I feel like the way they wrote it was like 24 episodes. They wasted too much money to make it to 30 episodes... I think 24 episodes is more than enough. The disappointment that has been hidden since episode 8.
Actor/Actress has a good acting especially both of them has a dimple and is look bright smile.
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you are desire review:- from daskmate to lifemate
yah Story me Lin Yujing aur Shen Juan school me deskmates bante hain. Pehle unka relationship thoda awkward hota hai, lekin dheere-dheere unke beech understanding aur feelings develop ho jati hain.lekin iske end me mujhe ek tie lagati hai...esa lagta hai jese ye puri tarah complete nahi hei kyunki drama me lin yujing ko dusre city me job milti he or wo darti hai ki kahi long distance relationship ki wajah se break up na ho jaye or ye baat quan ko pata chalti hai par drama ke end Tak iss bare aage wo kya final karte he uska clarification nahi he par sach me ye bahut hi cute love story hai.
agar aapko school life love story pasand he to ye best drama he ...
me isse overall 8.0 rating karti hu kyuki last me thodi tie jesa mujhe lagta he par mujhe inki love story bahut hi intresting lagi or bahut pasand aayi .... ek baar jarur dekhe ....🤗😉
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dropped //:
I dropped this at episode 20, I completely lost all motivation to continue it. the chemistry was just not there for me, yes the female lead was strong willed but to me she got totally bland once they began dating, pacing felt off. I won’t lie the part that had me most interested was whether or not his uncle would survive and what was the deal with the kid his uncle took in, those few episodes were peak. The romance was completely lacking, even when they were dating it felt like I was watching best friends rather than a couple, hardly any romance scenes at all except hugs here and there to remind us “hey, they’re dating”. once the college years hit everything just got so boring and once I feel like I’m forcing myself to watch new episodes that’s when I know it’s time to drop.Was this review helpful to you?
What Happened Half Way?
Honestly, this show would have gotten a 9 star review, if things didn't take a weird shift when the characters got into college.The story first focused on both the FL and ML, until the second part where the FL's storyline was overshadowed. It wasn't like she wasn't there however the balance between them was thrown off. After part one, the main focus should have been the aftermath of what happened in highschool. However, the subject of focus wasn't correct and was executed in a very bad way. Which is a shame.
Since this story is an adaptation, I cannot say what had changed except from what I've read of the novel's description where the ML's financial situation isn't the same. Whether they did more changes beyond that or they written something different with small references to the original work, I'm not sure. Either way, the change in the story is a bit too big to be overlooked, even with a great cast.
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Something was missing...but damn Zhou Yi Ran was superb
This was one of those dramas where I kept wanting to love it more than I actually did. Zhou Yi Ran is an actor that I'm very excited about because he feels like a true performer, and this is my first impression of Sabrina but she looked so nice from the promos that I really wanted to give this drama a fair shot.However… Like I didn’t hate it. I actually think it’s decent. But by the end I was left sitting there feeling like something important was missing and I still can’t fully pinpoint what it was. The vibes were there, the actors were definitely trying, the emotional beats occasionally HIT… but the overall show felt strangely hollow. I think a huge part of that comes down to the fact that the drama never really figured out what it wanted to be.
The high school portion was genuinely my favorite part by far. The friendship dynamics, the found family aspect, the quieter emotional moments all felt warm and grounded in a way that made me really attached to the characters. There was this comforting slice of life energy to it that worked SO well. Then the university timeline starts and suddenly it feels like I accidentally clicked on a different drama.
The found family aspect gets pushed aside, the tone shifts, and Shen Juan’s storyline takes such a sharp turn into sports that the show almost starts feeling sports focused instead of coming of age. Which would’ve been fine… if it felt cohesive. When you think about it Shen Juan is a physics major, a silver goods craftsman and a genius sharpshooter all by the age of 18? Like my dude was out here collecting skill sets like Pokemon cards. And yes, there was technically some setup for the sharpshooting thing earlier on, but not enough for how heavily it later shaped his character arc. There were just too many ideas competing for attention.
That being said, Zhou Yi Ran absolutely carried a huge chunk of this show emotionally. He’s genuinely such a compelling actor to watch, especially in quieter emotional scenes. I think his performance made me connect to Shen Juan far more than I normally would have on paper.
Same goes for Sabrina Zhuang. I thought both leads did a really good job individually. Which is why it’s even more frustrating that the romance itself felt so underdeveloped.
Because here’s the thing, I did feel the chemistry early on. The tension was there in the way they looked at each other, the pauses, the emotional undercurrents… but there was almost zero payoff. They genuinely felt more like best friends or an old married couple who occasionally hold hands than two people who had just fallen in love. Their romantic scenes, if you could even call it that, had the flavour of a cardboard box.
And I cannot stress this enough: the lack of romance really hurt the show.
I’m not someone who needs constant fluff or forced romantic scenes every five minutes. In fact, I usually prefer when romance is woven naturally into the story instead of being used to distract from weak writing. But this drama desperately needed something. A little more intimacy, more vulnerability, more moments that actually established them as a romantic couple rather than occasionally holding hands and calling each other boyfriend-girlfriend. Like, if you removed exactly two kisses from this show, almost nothing about their relationship dynamic would change. That’s a problem.
I also found myself less invested in the side character storylines as the episodes went on. None of them were terrible, but they lacked impact, and the pacing started dragging because of it.
What did work for me was the family dynamics. The show actually did a pretty good job making the world feel grounded and emotionally believable. There’s a realism to the writing that I appreciated, especially in the quieter domestic moments. But overall, I really think the writers didn’t fully know what kind of drama they wanted to make. Was it a coming-of-age story? A romance? A sports drama? A healing youth drama? It keeps touching all of these things without ever fully committing to one. They actually could have written a story that dove into all of these but this show wasn't it, which is frustrating because there’s clearly a good drama somewhere in here.
I don't know, it was just very meh.
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