Four in one done beautifully.
What a catch! Four girl, four personalities, four stories, four trials, four victory, four love plots, four griefs and four happy ever afters in four different ways. I've cried so much and laughed so much and related so much. It's so much to unpack yet so easy to follow, there isn't much for me to say without giving spoilers what I can assure you however it it's one worth watching. A little something something for everyone that watches. You might relate entirely with one character and their story plot or you might relate with bits and pieces of each character and their story plot, whichever it might be it will be refreshing even if they didn't end up with the drama standers for a happy ending. Please enjoy.Was this review helpful to you?
A Celebration of Friendship, Finding Yourself, and the Quiet Bravery of the Human Spirit
I started watching this drama in support of my Mandarin studies (input) — I’m taking online classes and needed something with clear dialogue and subtitles in both Chinese and English. That was my initial reason for choosing it.I’m a guy, and twice the age of the characters in this story. I’ve never experienced college life in China (or anything similar), and I certainly can’t relate to being a young woman at that stage of life. Still, the first few episodes were pretty good, and I figured I’d stick with it.
Then I hit episode 4 — and honestly, it just didn’t work for me. I actually stopped watching and put the drama on the back burner.
But as my Mandarin studies continued, I realized I still needed something that fit those original requirements. So I came back, pushed through episode 4 (still not a favorite), and then something remarkable happened: I got completely drawn in. I found myself enchanted by these characters — by their spirit, honesty, vulnerability, and above all, their strength.
I had expected a romance-heavy story, which I wasn’t really looking for. But to my surprise, this isn’t a typical romance drama. While there are some dating and couple dynamics, the relationships are portrayed in a grounded, authentic way. Love here isn’t just about being cute — it’s about connection, support, sacrifice, and putting your heart on the line. And not all the romantic storylines go smoothly, which to me reflects real life.
By the time I reached episode 18, it was the first time a drama had made me cry in a long time. From episode 18 to 24, I kept a box of tissues close — not just for sadness, but for joy. These girls’ stories touched something deep in me. I smiled through tears, and each moment meant something.
Episode 24 wrapped it all up perfectly. It felt like a complete, honest ending that stayed true to the journey we’d taken with these characters.
As for rewatch value — absolutely. I plan to return to this drama as part of my Mandarin study routine. The dialogue is rich, the emotions are sincere, and the characters stay with you. I laughed. I cried. I cheered. And I’m genuinely grateful to have experienced this story.
This is easily in my top five of all the Chinese dramas I’ve watched so far.
I first saw Shen Yue in the 2021 Netflix drama Use for My Talent, and I already liked her there. But in Be Yourself, she is simply phenomenal. In fact, all three of the main girls are outstanding. The entire cast — including the male leads — was perfectly chosen. The music was beautiful. The pacing worked. Everything came together in a way that felt sincere and impactful.
In the end, Be Yourself isn’t just a story about growing up — it’s a reflection on the courage it takes to be true to who you are, the power of friendship, and the bittersweet beauty of life itself.
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Give this drama a shot!
If you are wanting a love-romance plot then this drama is not for you. If you are here just for Shen-yue, this drama is not for you. Vivienne Tan is the narrator here so I believe she has a stronger role but who knows? I haven't watched it all.It has a bittersweet story to all characters. This drama is not focused on just a single character and truly brings out everyone's personality. It has covered many topics that we face in daily life. From family problems, mother-daughter relation, fear of not being enough, personal boundary, childhood crush to amazing friendship! You name it.
It does has many characters because the plot revolves around four girls but trust me, it does its job of not overshadowing but keeping it fun and exciting at the same time. I loved to see Leon Leong from METEOR GARDEN casted in this drama. His character is not that overpowering but sweet and subtle.
The thing I would like to see was a bit differences in the personality of girls rather than jumping into the same stereotype where one of them is nerdy, one is boyish, one is overly sensitive princess and the other one is sassy rich girl. But as the title says, BE YOURSELF.
I hope this drama lives upto its name and succeeds to convey its full potential.
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This review may contain spoilers
Between Realism and Clichés
Since this drama clearly tries to take a realistic approach from the start, I’ll also give my review in a realistic way.The good:
The show is quite detailed in setting up props that match the characters and their economic background.
The acting is solid and emotional.
The cinematography is also good.
The bad:
I feel like the drama doesn’t want to focus too much on romance and tries to highlight personal growth instead, but somehow every character’s main issue still ends up revolving around romance—as if people can only grow after finding or losing romantic love.
I also feel the messages are delivered way too directly. I’ve only watched 6 episodes, but there are already lots of cliché scenes that, based on my own college experience, don’t feel realistic at all.
For example, those intense personal talks with a thesis advisor. From my perspective, that feels unrealistic. An advisor isn’t the same as a homeroom teacher or school counselor. At least in my country (or maybe just at my university), professors only really care about GPA and their students’ courses.
This is actually the first drama I’ve seen where characters have non-academic interactions with their advisor, and honestly it feels awkward. Also, why is the professor always on campus? Apart from the head of department, I rarely see professors hanging around that much.
Lang Lang’s character growth also seems to come mainly from her advisor’s advice, which (to me) undermines her independence. At the end of the day, that’s still just personal opinion, but because it’s coming from a professor, it clouds her logic. That’s not the kind of development I’d expect in this genre.
The “tomboy girl” trope—no makeup, no dresses—feels pretty stale. At first I liked her strong personality, but little by little she’s made more dependent on her advisor, which I didn’t enjoy.
Then there’s the whole T-shirt distribution scene to stop campus gossip, and everyone just agrees to wear them. It looks like a “cool” plot idea, but it’s not realistic. In college, people usually don’t bother clarifying gossip—they just watch from the sidelines. Just because someone initiates something doesn’t mean the majority would instantly agree, especially since the drama never explains why they’d agree to wear the shirts.
Another example is Fan Xiao Yu. She was supposedly “cut off” financially by her dad and forced to live independently, but she still lives like she’s getting allowance every month. There’s no real struggle. Yes, she sells her belongings, but her lifestyle doesn’t match what she’s selling. And eventually, selling personal stuff will hit a wall—you can’t just keep selling forever.
And one scene that really bothered me was during the military training. Ma Yiran pulled Lang Lang’s zipper down to “show her how not to overheat,” then zipped it back up. To me, that’s problematic—it’s harassment, not romance, and it shouldn’t be romanticized.
I’ve only seen 6 episodes, but honestly it feels like watching a webinar where the speaker keeps making sure I catch the “lesson.” It’s too on-the-nose for my taste. But maybe other viewers can still enjoy it more than I did.
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Drama Persahabatan
Saya sangat merekomendasikan drama ini. Sangat seru untuk ditonton. Drama ini berfokus pada kisah persahabatan antar 4 wanita yang berada pada kamar yang sama di Universitas.Saya suka ketika mereka tumbuh dari masa muda mereka menjadi dewasa. Dewasa disini dalam hal perilaku, pikiran dan pilihan² yang mereka ambil. Mungkin berbeda pendapat dan pilihan dengan orang lain. Tapi mereka memilih sendiri bagaimana pilihan yang mereka ambil mendewasakan diri mereka.
Selain berisi kisah persahabatan, ini juga tentang impian, keluarga dan di bumbui dengan sedikit kisah romansa. Kisah ini benar-benar membuat kita teringat kembali masa-masa perkuliahan. Dengan kepolosan akan situasi sosial di masyarakat. Namun, perlahan kita juga akan menemukan bahwa ternyata kita telah tumbuh dewasa. Saya tidak merasa menyesal setelah menontonnya. Dan saya harap kalian juga sama.
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