Exclusive Fairytale

cute

I’m still sad to see them go. i loved both families so much. no weird drama coming from them. just love and support on both sides. i loved that the storyline showed him being patient and guiding her despite being younger. he knew exactly what he wanted and he was not about to lose out on it. ml was a bit boring at times and i skipped some scenes because he just couldn’t keep my attention.
i loved the fl. i really thought her characted was the best one I had seen in a while. she was incredibly cute and funny. she was down to earth and not one of the ones that just can’t defend themselves. she had her head right and wasn’t about to take any crap from anyone. but still was cute and empathetic. she was straight forward with everyone about who she liked. no weird complications at all.
the entire drama was refreshing and I just hate to see them go.
the reason why i gave a 9.5 and not a 10 was because the ml was a bit boring and in one scene she was accused of cheating. she never cheated. she was clear from the beginning who her boyfriend is.
i will definitely watch it again. made me a bit nostalgic lol. i wish it would be longer and we could see more of their life now that they a family. also more of the parents. i really loved them. but not going to happen.
honestly, it feels like letting go of a family member. very sad

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I actually enjoyed this show more than I expected. I was reluctant to watch this at first, because of how Miao Yi looks so much like Ariel Lin, who I forever have pigeon-holed in her “It Started With a Kiss” character of a dull-witted female chasing genius male, which this drama is almost akin of. Although Xiao Tu is similar to Xiang Qin from ISWAK on that front, she does not throw herself needlessly at Ling Chao, and has her own adorable charm. And though he appears aloof at most times, Ling Chao is unlike Zhi Shu and has a soft heart for his childhood friend.

The drama is mostly light-hearted, but it has its emotional moments, like when Ling Chao is dealing with his absentee father or when Juan Juan was coping with her relationship woes. But the gang of misfits provided comic relief, and Miao Yi certainly proved herself to be a natural. While there are some cringe moments, it is easy to overlook them. I love how this drama does not take itself seriously, and it is such a fun watch.

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Thoroughly enjoyable and funny

I was looking for something light hearted and came across this. It is absolutely lovely and I enjoyed every minute of it. It's very funny and I laughed a lot. It also brought back memories of the carefree years of teens and universities . Both FL and ML did really well and the scriptwriter is very funny. The directorship is top notched

I wasn't a fan of Wen Jun Hui but since watching this,I have started checking him and his group Seventeen. I think he's absolutely talented

I hope to see more dramas from these two actors
I highly recommend this drama if you are looking for a light hearted ROM com but there's quite a lot of social values and education too

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An awesome story with an awesome cast!

I felt the two leads had great chemistry and felt very natural. The female lead, Zhang Miao Yi , definitely carried the show and the role suited her very well. I can't imagine a more fitting actress for the role of Xiao Tu. Her comedic timing was just perfect. As for the male lead, Jun, I wish we were able to see more expression from him. I still liked his portrayal though and his expression when he's awkward is hilarious. I really would like to see Zhang Miao Yi and Jun in another drama.

Xiao Tu and Ling Chao aren’t related, but they grew up together. Both of their parents are each other’s godparents. Ling Chao has always been very smart and studious, while Xiao Tu is carefree and overly dramatic. I loved how oblivious and dense Xiao Tu is. She often sees things at face value, while Ling Chao is more observant and constantly protects her from the shadows. No matter what, Xiao Tu always somehow finds a way to drag Ling Chao into one of her shenanigans. For example, there’s a scene where they try to take Xiao Tu’s friend’s cellphone back from a teacher, only to get caught. Ling Chao manages to get away, while Xiao Tu gets into trouble. Xiao Tu accuses him of being disloyal. Later in the episode, we find out that Ling Chao went back to retrieve the phone anyway. Although he succeeds, he gets into trouble for lying to the teacher and saying the phone was his, which results in him having to write a two page essay. We see a lot more of Ling Chao’s inner feelings in the exclusive epilogue.

I actually enjoyed the drama more when they were in high school, perhaps because of the buildup of Ling Chao’s feelings. We see that Ling Chao develops feelings for Xiao Tu quite early on, and I liked how he never openly expresses them, instead showing his affection through subtle actions. Ling Chao’s mother bought them matching rabbit themed clothing. Xiao Tu received an undergarment, while Ling Chao had a shirt with a pom pom on the back. Xiao Tu wanted them to wear the matching items together, but Ling Chao refused, which upset her. The next day at school, Xiao Tu gets hit on the head by a basketball, and the boy who threw it laughs. To defend her, Ling Chao agrees to play basketball, which reveals that he is wearing the rabbit shirt. Ling Chao often does things like this, and I found it very endearing. Another sweet detail is that Xiao Tu dislikes carrots, so whenever there are dishes with carrots, she picks them out and gives them to Ling Chao, and he eats them without complaint. The second half of the drama is when they're in college and basically is them navigating their relationship, it was also enjoyable as well.

The reason why Ling Chao fell in love with Xiao Tu is because he does not need to perform or protect an image. He can exist quietly, even invisibly, and still feel seen by Xiao Tu. Ling Chao is surrounded by admiration. At school, his intelligence, looks, and reputation as a model student place him on a pedestal. Xiao Tu, however, has known him long before any of that mattered. To her, he is just Ling Chao, the person who gets dragged into her schemes, eats the carrots she does not like, and silently cleans up after her messes. When she is upset, happy, or frustrated, she expresses it openly and without pretense. This transparency is what makes her heart feel pure. Her obliviousness also plays an important role. Xiao Tu does not overanalyze Ling Chao’s actions or search for deeper meanings behind his words. She accepts what is in front of her.

Xu Ling Long is someone who has had a crush on Ling Chao since they were kids and is very upfront about her feelings for him. She often finds reasons to get close to him, only to get shot down by Ling Chao. Despite being a love rival, I couldn’t hate her. She was adorable and funny, and she was never malicious, although she would be passive aggressive toward Xiao Tu, it was never as negative as you would think. She is one of the very few love rivals you actually end up liking. Although she was mainly there for comedic purposes, she was lovely.

Yin Xin Lan is Ling Chao’s classmate and also has a crush on him. Although she appears soft spoken and nice, she isn’t, as she makes offhanded remarks about Xiao Tu and has no issue using others to get close to Ling Chao. I think Ling Chao saw right through Yin Xin Lan from the start, which is why he was very blunt with her. In contrast, he was much softer when turning down Xu Ling Long’s advances.

One unfortunate thing is that if you don't understand or speak Chinese, you miss out on some funny moments. Several times, Xiao Tu speaks to Ling Chao using old fashioned terms, which sounds much funnier in Chinese and subtitles doesn't do it justice

I have watched this drama a few times already, starting a few years ago. This is one of those lighthearted dramas you can always rewatch, and it gives you the same feelings as the first time. There are no unnecessary third parties, as the leads’ relationship is solid, and there is no miscommunication that lasts longer than an episode. The entire cast was extremely perfect. Both leads had awesome friends as well. I really liked the friends Ling Chao made in college. They were hilarious and often got into all kinds of shenanigans. I think one of the highlights for me would Xiao Tu's relationship with her dad. Their chemistry together was amazing and I knew if I saw them together on screen, I would get a great laugh. Xiao Tu's dad was extremely funny as well, but I loved both their families dynamic with one another. It was very nice to see two kids being raised in a happy and loving home.

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A very fresh and bubbly wholesome funny rom-com

I really love this series, it really brings me comfort. I liked the pacing, the story and the acting. I think it's a childhood friends to lovers trope done right.
I'm a fan of Jun in Seventeen so i was really delighted to see how well he did in this work.
Despite a few lil plot points (a certain breakup of side characters lol), the story is good and the plot really holds well. As a big fan of cute cliché rom-coms, this was really up to my standards.
Bonus points for the use of my favorite trope lol : the one where FL looks at something and says omg it's so pretty and ML says yeah it's so pretty but while looking at her instead hihi

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Très cute & sweet romance between 2 childhood sweetheart.

PLOT: We follow the evolution of the relationship and feelings between 2 inseparable childhood friends, from high school to university, then into the professional world.

PROS:
+ the tone is light, with tenderness and humor. The evolution of adolescents' feelings and thoughts is realistic and well told.
+ The actors are very convincing, talented, and bring endearing characters to life.
+ There is no great villain, it is quite human and realistic.
+ The narration is dynamic, the OSTs pleasant and the framing is neat.

CONS:
- It's a bit of a "fairy tale" where everything goes well, with the cliché of the ML being cold and smart, while the FL is much less intelligent, but cheerful, optimistic and warm.
=> Why do the screenwriters always make the ML, the most intelligent, who helps the “miserable” FL in her studies, and NOT THE REVERSE? Is this the message they want to convey? Girls don't have to be smart, they just have to have a good heart?
- All non-romance aspects are treated quickly and superficially (learning, training, integration and professional rivalries, etc.) to accentuate the fluffy and sweet side.

=> a comforting and sweet series, to watch during the long winter evenings.

**********************************************************************************
PLOT: On suit l'évolution de la relation et des sentiments entre 2 amis d'enfance inséparables, du lycée à l'université, puis dans le monde professionnel.

PROS:
+ le ton est léger, avec tendresse et humour. L'évolution des sentiments et des pensées des adolescents est réaliste, bien racontée.
+ Les acteurs sont très convaincants, talentueux, et donnent vie à des personnages attachants.
+ Il n'y a pas de great villain, c'est assez humain et réaliste.
+ La narration est dynamique, les OST agréables et les cadrages sont nets.

CONS:
- C'est un peu "conte de fées" où tout se passe bien, avec le cliché du ML cold et smart, tandis que la FL est beaucoup moins intelligente, mais enjouée, optimiste et chaleureuse.
=> Pourquoi les scénaristes font toujours du ML, le plus intelligent, qui aide la "misérable" FL dans ses études, et PAS L'INVERSE ? C'est le message qu'ils veulent transmettre ? Les filles n'ont pas besoin d'être malignes, elles doivent juste avoir bon coeur ?
- Tous les aspects non-romance sont traités rapidement et superficiellement (enseignement, insertion et rivalités professionnelles, etc.) pour accentuer le côté fluffy et sweet.

=> une série réconfortante et douce, à regarder durant les longues soirées d'hiver.

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good for laid-back days

I picked this up right after watching When I Fly Towards You and I’m happy it shares almost the exact same feel and vibe. It’s the typical childhood friends-to-lovers story with the added spice of the uniqueness of their characters and setting. It’s steady-paced, relaxed, with just the right amount of conflict that gives it the added drama but not so much stress that I’d be tempted to drop it.

It’s so bittersweet to have it end. These shows make me want more of its kind and give me an identity crisis after because I suddenly don’t know what to do with my life after finishing it. Would recommend and would rewatch!!

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Honestly adored this

I took my time starting this as I’m not a Carat, and I often drop high school dramas once one or both leads becomes intolerable.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered this light-hearted, hilarious gem that perfectly matches my sense of humour and preferred stress and misunderstanding levels (low). The usual one dimensional side characters had their own depth and quirks, and the leads nailed the brief. Everything from the funny music to the breaking the 4th wall moments were great. The writing is way above what I usually see in similar shows. I never thought a teacher character would be one of my favourites.

Even though it’s been a little while since I finished this, one of my housemates is watching it for the first time right now and he’s laughing his head off, so it reminded me to write this review. Honestly, it’s not perfect but close enough; it certainly deserves way more than the 8.4 it’s currently on.

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Exclusive Jun ...

Yum.
That man is just scrumptious; they should've used his real voice.

What was with the makeup though?
In some scenes he was so ghostly pale and it threw me off.

He's a great kisser and has good eye emoting.

I'd like to see him with a better story/more mature role.

You can tell who was the star to me here ; )

On with the rest.

Not a fan of the FL character overall.

Why were so many men infatuated with her?

Why was she unable to defend her self against the delivery guy?

The writers spent time building up how strong of a female she supposedly was, learned taekwondo, etc.

She dressed very boyish and often sat too relaxed, legs spread open.

Her mud colored overalls were not attractive at all, none of her clothes really were.

Her friend stayed dressing cute (her sense of style was about the only thing that character had going for her).

FL was beyond slow with recognizing the ML liked her, she irked me.

She seemed cockeyed a lot in this one too, her look was throwing me off.

Not a big supporter of the second couple.

The male yes, the female no.

Her fangirling character was ridiculous.

I loved that both parents supported their children being together, that was a refreshing take.

The ML father's story was absolutely preposterous and absurd.

What was the point of him abandoning/ignoring his son all those years when he was in contact with the mother and sending money home?

Some parts did not flow well or mesh together cohesively.

The biggest take away was the eye candy, especially the ML.

He was served on a pale, glowing platter but was delectable all the same.

*sigh* his kisses were on point times ten ..

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