Well, I have to throw in my two cents. As someone reading the novel simultaneously while watching the drama, Iām also not too thrilled with how much they deviated from the original plot. The drama adaptation leans into a more typical trope, whereas the novel felt refreshingly different.
In the novel, Wen Yi Fan also struggled to open up about her trauma, but she was determined to never hurt Sang Yan again. The trust they built over the whole time was tested, but it remained strong and she was the one who personally told him what had happened to her.
The dramaās approach isnāt bad. I still enjoyed the episodes, but personally, I prefer the novel's storyline much more. Now Iām really curious to see if they will continue to stray from the source material...
Also as someone who loved "Hidden Love" and all the parallels with "The First Frost", this deviating from original plot was bit of a letdown lol Because rewatching "Hidden Love" scenes and aligning the timelines was always fun haha
Yu Qi's behavior here is similar to Cui Xing Zhou in ZWY's previous drama Are You the OneāLOLI love ZWY's comedic…
No, it's not just you. The editing and pacing kinda sucks. I'm just on the 2nd ep and I have a difficult time getting into the story, because it has "short-length-drama-vibes" ... Not sure if I wanna continue right now š¤
Wen Yi Fan is sooo adorable!! Zhang Ruo Nan is really great at bringing her awkward and shy vibes without it being cringe or cheesy! It just comes natural to her haha
WOW! Just finished this and what a beautiful drama it was! I binge-watched all the episodes over the past few days and it was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions! I rarely binge-watch dramas since I usually prefer ongoing ones, but with some free time on my hands, I gave this a shot. Honestly, it is one of the best youth dramas I have seen ā¤ļø
I am truly in awe of how wholesome and heartwarming youth C-Dramas can be. I'm not even youth anymore, but I love the nostalgic feelings while watching them.
I especially adored our main couple, Xichi and Huanāer. Their journey from strangers to neighbors, classmates, friends, best friends, lovers and finally family was so naturally and beautifully written. Their relationship felt so genuine and you could really see and feel how much they cherished each otherās company.
It has been a while since I have seen such a well-balanced relationship in a drama. Both of them gave so much to each other, offering unwavering support along the way. They were both walking green flags, wholesome, funny and downright adorable. I am really going to miss them!!!
Another highlight for me was the parents of the trio. I do not think I have ever liked so many parents in a C-Drama before. They had distinct personalities that made them feel like real people rather than just being there as āthe parentsā of the main characters. It was so refreshing.
The humor in this drama was also totally my style, with no over-the-top slapstick or forced comedy-relief characters. I especially loved Xichi, as he was such a funny and witty character. But the humor did not stop with him, since his friends, classmates and even the parents all had their own hilarious moments.
Overall, I absolutely loved this drama and highly recommend it if you enjoy youth and family-centered stories. Even though I am a romance lover and could not wait for them to grow up and get together, I have to admit that I enjoyed the middle and high school scenes the most. The university portion felt a bit superficial and lacked the depth of their earlier years. I found their home life far more engaging, which is why I think the title "Always Home" was the perfect choice. That sense of warmth and belonging was truly the heart of the story.
I'm on ep. 16 now.... I think the writers really failed Qi Qi's character and story. I love everything about this drama, but Qi Qi. She is so badly written so far!! I could do just fine without her. But I give writers the fault for failing to write even just one likable character trait into her...
I mean, did the writers sleep on something? How can she come back to the friend group as if nothing happened? She acted so indifferent, like a total b*tch and had a huge victim mentality without proper apology... She was never there for anyone when someone had a difficult time and now she's back in the picture and having hypocrite dialougues like: "People who really care about you, won't be defeated by distance." LOOOOL The distance between two classrooms was enough to break their friendship for her! I literally facepalmed when she said that.
I'm not sure If they will manage to change my mind in the second half of the drama.
Li Tian turned out to be such a fun character lol "I don't drink. Drinking will only affect personal cultivation and social harmony." And then his smug face hahahaha Most characters turned out to be such fun and delightful characters even with a rough start.
And then there's Qi Qi .... I'm on ep.16 but still can't stand her. Sorry, not sorry.
Jing Qi Chi is seriously the most funny character I've seen in a youth drama! XD I LOVE HIM! I would love to be friends with someone like him! When he started to speak just in English, I really couldn't stop laughing. Also him and Chen Huan Er combo are just so delightful to watch! They really vibe so well with each other lol
Jing Qi Chi is hilarious! XD I really had to laugh every time he mentioned his revelation that sweet potato root isn't the root of a sweet potato! He's such a funny character!
Just started this and really enjoying it... but Qi Qi is such a toxic person. Even though her kind of character is pretty realistic. I'm not sure If I will ever like her, even if she gets more mature and have character development.
I'm on ep. 22 and I'm struggling to continue. Not because I dislike it, but because I'm not ready for the impending angst and darkness. I also donāt understand why they return to the Eastern Country while still suffering from severe PTSD. It feels completely irresponsible for the psychiatrist to declare him "healed" mostly based on a video and "determined" statements from Li Zan.
Iām no expert in PTSD treatment, but I canāt imagine any scenario where it would be beneficial for someone recovering from PTSD to return to a war zone and defuse bombs. Even as a volunteer, this is a job that demands complete mental stabilityāfor their own safety and the safety of others. I think Luo Zhan is the only sane person in this regard.
I think whatās holding me back from continuing is knowing that most of the terrible things ahead could have been avoidedā¦
guys should i wait for tomorrowās episode and watch them together or just watch ep 9 rn cuz i heard theres some…
The misunderstanding was cleared in the later half of the episode, but I still didn't like the episode lol Misunderstanding was dumb and so was FL's behavior towards him. I think if I knew I would be so pissed by this ep, than I would've waited for tomorrows ep as well haha
Instead they avoid him like he's some pest... Sry, but the behaviour of hers and her colleague was so immature and unprofessional. At least in a work setting, where he even agreed to help her out, they should've stayed at least polite... Gosh, I was so annoyed by them haha
Well, I have to throw in my two cents. As someone reading the novel simultaneously while watching the drama, Iām also not too thrilled with how much they deviated from the original plot. The drama adaptation leans into a more typical trope, whereas the novel felt refreshingly different.
In the novel, Wen Yi Fan also struggled to open up about her trauma, but she was determined to never hurt Sang Yan again. The trust they built over the whole time was tested, but it remained strong and she was the one who personally told him what had happened to her.
The drama on the other hand takes the usual trope with disappearance, "break-up" and the dreaded time skip. Itās not bad and Wen Yi Fanās actions are understandable, but it feels way more clichĆ© and lacks the nuance the novel had. But I really liked how Sang Yan visited the places of Yi Fan's past, giving him a glimpse of how she lived.
The dramaās approach isnāt bad. I still enjoyed the episodes, but personally, I prefer the novel's storyline much more. Now Iām really curious to see if they will continue to stray from the source material...
Also as someone who loved "Hidden Love" and all the parallels with "The First Frost", this deviating from original plot was bit of a letdown lol Because rewatching "Hidden Love" scenes and aligning the timelines was always fun haha
I am truly in awe of how wholesome and heartwarming youth C-Dramas can be. I'm not even youth anymore, but I love the nostalgic feelings while watching them.
I especially adored our main couple, Xichi and Huanāer. Their journey from strangers to neighbors, classmates, friends, best friends, lovers and finally family was so naturally and beautifully written. Their relationship felt so genuine and you could really see and feel how much they cherished each otherās company.
It has been a while since I have seen such a well-balanced relationship in a drama. Both of them gave so much to each other, offering unwavering support along the way. They were both walking green flags, wholesome, funny and downright adorable. I am really going to miss them!!!
Another highlight for me was the parents of the trio. I do not think I have ever liked so many parents in a C-Drama before. They had distinct personalities that made them feel like real people rather than just being there as āthe parentsā of the main characters. It was so refreshing.
The humor in this drama was also totally my style, with no over-the-top slapstick or forced comedy-relief characters. I especially loved Xichi, as he was such a funny and witty character. But the humor did not stop with him, since his friends, classmates and even the parents all had their own hilarious moments.
Overall, I absolutely loved this drama and highly recommend it if you enjoy youth and family-centered stories. Even though I am a romance lover and could not wait for them to grow up and get together, I have to admit that I enjoyed the middle and high school scenes the most. The university portion felt a bit superficial and lacked the depth of their earlier years. I found their home life far more engaging, which is why I think the title "Always Home" was the perfect choice. That sense of warmth and belonging was truly the heart of the story.
And the ending was PERFECT!
I mean, did the writers sleep on something? How can she come back to the friend group as if nothing happened? She acted so indifferent, like a total b*tch and had a huge victim mentality without proper apology... She was never there for anyone when someone had a difficult time and now she's back in the picture and having hypocrite dialougues like: "People who really care about you, won't be defeated by distance." LOOOOL The distance between two classrooms was enough to break their friendship for her! I literally facepalmed when she said that.
I'm not sure If they will manage to change my mind in the second half of the drama.
"I don't drink. Drinking will only affect personal cultivation and social harmony." And then his smug face hahahaha Most characters turned out to be such fun and delightful characters even with a rough start.
And then there's Qi Qi .... I'm on ep.16 but still can't stand her. Sorry, not sorry.
Iām no expert in PTSD treatment, but I canāt imagine any scenario where it would be beneficial for someone recovering from PTSD to return to a war zone and defuse bombs. Even as a volunteer, this is a job that demands complete mental stabilityāfor their own safety and the safety of others. I think Luo Zhan is the only sane person in this regard.
I think whatās holding me back from continuing is knowing that most of the terrible things ahead could have been avoidedā¦
I think if I knew I would be so pissed by this ep, than I would've waited for tomorrows ep as well haha
Oh man, his expression afterwards looked so sad š
I mean, at least stay professional, girl...