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While this is very cute there is not much else there for the story. Most of the other characters are very superficially created with one or two character traits that help push the plot and that is about it. For example the fiance is just there to create drama and try to separate the couple, the cousin is there to create tension and a sense of urgency/danger, etc. These characters motives are almost juvenile and lack any real depth which leaves the drama feeling a bit flat when it comes to the plot. Did this effect my enjoyment of this show? No. Does it make for a great story? Also no.
But if you came for the chemistry and the romance then you will find it here. It is sweet and easy to watch like one of your favorite desserts. Not necessarily nutritious but definitely delicious.
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Here's to the friends we wish we had!
First this show really needed a better title. My Calorie Boy did not pique my interest at all nor do I feel like it really sums up the drama well. I picked this up on a whim when I was mostly looking to watch something with a good friendships and found this as a recommendation for that. This did indeed fit that bill but also did so much more. It kept me laughing and smiling but also did not shy away from skirting around some very difficult topics such as parental expectation and pressure, body weight and image, teaching differences, and grief. This slice of life drama will keep you interested through the casts chemistry and infectious comedy.The two main leads were exceptional throughout the drama and their chemistry together was top notch. Their friendship was so realistically portrayed and acted as they went from wary strangers, to allies, to best friends. Between their bickering and light-hearted teasing you see as their relationship grows and how they naturally gravitate toward each other without realizing it. I also like that this drama does not shy away from the natural skin ship that is normal in young relationships such as the girls linking arms, holding hands and best friends playfully batting each other or sitting close. The feeling of friendship through their actions is felt through the screen. And as the friendship goes these two are the types of friends you wish you had or were. JingJing's overflowing generosity for her friends and JiaWie's unfaltering support.
But this show did not create perfect characters which I loved. Each one is flawed and real. From the teachers that still have lessons to learn, to the parents that hold on too tight, down to the students that grow and change. Everything is seen through the lens of your 17 year old self experiencing the same life lessons and challenges.
My biggest complaint about this show however is the editing and the time lapse, specifically in the last 5 episodes. The majority of the drama takes place in their second year of high school and then as senior year starts time moves very quickly which feels disjointed from the first half of the show but understandable since they primarily need to study and take tests anyway. There are parts where it feels like scenes were cut out as it seems to set it up for something and then move on to something completely different. And then the last episode happens where there is a complete jump over the college years and it is 4 years later where everyone is now in their career and it felt so unrealistic and unsatisfying. It does have a happy ending in the last 3 minutes which is far from enough for me. Still with these flaws I still really really enjoyed this drama.
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Things I like:
The costuming and casting
The premise and overall plot kine (I bet I would probably enjoy the book)
The CGI and sets are amazing
The soundtrack is phenomenal
Things I hate:
The slapstick comedy they use by making characters be dumb: Aunt and Uncle, Princess, etc
The main is too perfect; he solves cases so fast, his martial arts progresses too quickly, he is the best at literally everything
The lack of world building and the way they 'explain' Dafeng and the magic system too quickly and incoherently
I thought this show would be one of my favorites after watching the trailer and the first couple of episodes but the type of comedy used in this show sank it for me. Slap stick comedy or comedy done by making characters stupid just is not my cup of tea. It makes it feel forced down my throat and I end up gagging on it. If they had toned down their reach for comedy and focused on the plot movement then this would have been ten times better. The story itself is very interesting but the way it is shown is a miss for me. Xu Qi An is too perfect and progresses too quickly in a way that I feel cheapens him a bit. This a highly intelligent and compassionate character that does not want glory but instead cares for the people so he can't be bribed or swayed from his morals. But they make everything come easy to him instead of allowing him the chance to work for his successes especially when it comes to skills.
Overall if you enjoy that kind of comedy then I think you would really like this but if you find that it detracts for you then I would skip this one.
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master class in emotive story telling
Very much like my review of the first season you will find yourself emotionally invested in this second half of the story. The characters have survived the invasion but that does not mean the war is over. The remnants and all the things that follow are equally as brutal and painful to watch but so beautifully done and acted to perfection. I hated the King and is paranoia and cruelty. I sympathized with the Crown Prince and his struggle to survive a foreign land to finally make it home and find himself having to struggle to survive again. His want to keep promises and fear of what that would mean. I hated the Princess and her selfishness but empathized with her want to be loved. Every character, no matter how big or small was written and portrayed in a realness that will take your heart and pull it in a hundred directions.Cons:
-the timeline: I found the timeline on this hard to follow and still do not completely understand how long things happened and how one character had his hair turn white but everyone else looked exactly the same
-the constant push and pull of their relationship
-for me there was too much focus on the political aspect with no real follow through conclusion
-the ending did not give me closure, I felt like I needed more. Jang Hyun's past was almost glossed over, you don't get answers about Ryang Eum and why he ended up where he did, for how long, or what happened after, and while they tied the first and last episodes together by making the show as if it was the story being told from the character in the beginning I would have liked to understand the why a bit more
-amnesia used not once but twice on the same person
Pros:
-character development from start to end for all the characters was phenomenal from the main characters down to the side characters. Everyone went through change in whichever direction and it made sense according to their characters
-beautifully shot with appropriate camera angles
-the aesthetic for the post war world and the gradual change in colors that shows the maturity and aging of the characters was done well
-music was beautiful and accompanied their scenes very well without ever feeling repetitive or too much
-Jang Hyun is a major reason I watched this show because I am a sucker for a man that will do literally everything for his person
I can not say that this is a favorite of mine but it is a powerful work that will stick with me for a while.
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