Love is enduring and transcendent
This drama is one for the acquired audience who appreciates how enduring and transcendent love can be! I read a bunch of critique (and way too many comparisons with L&P….) and honestly don’t sleep on this show!!!! The drama portrays a love that is organic, poignant, realistic, not as something fleeting, but as a force that persists through time, pain, and change.Cast - The cast is stunning with visual compatibility and both online offline chemistry. Believe me I watch so many BTS and interviews! On screen, I love the puppy golden retriever playful extroverted side of CFY which is refreshing compared to his usual cool reserved roles. Off screen, their BTS is a show on its own. Both CFY and ZDF obviously hit off very well. CFY usually dissociates and is introverted with little interaction with his female costars but ZDF really brings out the playful fun side of him. They’re always seen playing / laughing / bantering / joking with each other with comfortable skinship.
Storytelling - I love how their love transverses across each season of their life (school, work, debts, career, dreams). Their love story as college sweethearts was so adorable to watch. Just the right amount of awkwardness & clumsiness and endearment & first love innocence. The way they navigated social class differences was thoughtful, the way they navigated long distance was bittersweet - uplifting when rooting each other but filled with longing and yearning each parting. When they got older and reshuffled their priorities, they learnt to be strong for love in spite of trauma and getting hurt. To learn to be bold in taking risks and sacrifices for love.
Character - I love Sabrina Zhuang’s portrayal of a FL who is strong and delivers queen energy. She is principled and draws clear boundaries without compromising and knows to prioritise herself and her peace. Her way back to finding love / finding him is nuanced & authentic. Some say her behaviour towards the ML is hateful and the pace for reconciliation is “slow” but can you blame her?? it’s a realistic execution of showing how one struggles with a heart wrenching break up and trauma that is long drawn-out —— this pace is deliberate to give her space and room to let go and forgive, rediscover what she wants (how much she loves me), get past the torture of hurt & self-blame & guilt and then to trust and love again.
The journey of heartbreak and healing (done both apart and together) is necessary to elevate the emotional impact of their reunion. It shows how love is hard earned! It reminds us that love is not only about finding someone, but growing with them in spite of regrets and mistakes, losing and rediscovering them, and realizing that true love is powerful and worth risking it all.
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