This review may contain spoilers
Tension, Tension, Everywhere
As someone who devoured the novel with the restraint of a squirrel, I was, as usual, a wee bit skeptical about the drama adaptation.
Thankfully, the drama gets so much right with Bai Jing Ting and Zhang Ruonan as leads. While it makes a few adjustments for pacing and side character development, it stays faithful to the heart of the novel: two people who once let misunderstandings and bad timing tear them apart, finally getting the second chance they deserve. And yes, Sang Yan is still the same smug menace we all love.
Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan’s dynamic is the heart of this story, and the drama adaptation absolutely nails it. Sang Yan is exactly as he should be: annoyingly charming, quick with a joke, and 100% the kind of man who would rather jump down a cliff than admit he’s been emotionally wrecked for years. Meanwhile, Wen Yi Fan remains the warm but emotionally-guarded girl who is composed outwardly but internally, also a wreck.
Sang Yan spends much of the first half acting flippant. Throwing out shameless one-liners? Check. Smirking like he owns the world? Check. When Yi Fan looking at him like he’s an overgrown child? Double check. Bai JT and ZhangRN do this so well.
Come Ep 17 a.k.a. The Moment I Ascended to Another Plane of Existence: Sang Yan, who has spent YEARS acting like nothing matters, finally lays his heart bare with vulnerabilities all laid out, though to a sleeping Yi Fan. The scenes immediately after totally turned the relationship. At this point, my logical self had clocked out. All that remained was my romance-loving soul screaming.
The drama is as much about first love and tardy communication as it is about timing, growth, and learning how to not mess up a good thing for the second time. If you loved the novel, you’ll love this adaptation. If you’re new to the story, prepare yourself for an emotionally -constipated male lead who thinks he is smooth, a sharp and independent heroine who can dismantle his entire existence with a look, AND enough emotional tension to power a small city.
Highly recommended!
Thankfully, the drama gets so much right with Bai Jing Ting and Zhang Ruonan as leads. While it makes a few adjustments for pacing and side character development, it stays faithful to the heart of the novel: two people who once let misunderstandings and bad timing tear them apart, finally getting the second chance they deserve. And yes, Sang Yan is still the same smug menace we all love.
Sang Yan and Wen Yi Fan’s dynamic is the heart of this story, and the drama adaptation absolutely nails it. Sang Yan is exactly as he should be: annoyingly charming, quick with a joke, and 100% the kind of man who would rather jump down a cliff than admit he’s been emotionally wrecked for years. Meanwhile, Wen Yi Fan remains the warm but emotionally-guarded girl who is composed outwardly but internally, also a wreck.
Sang Yan spends much of the first half acting flippant. Throwing out shameless one-liners? Check. Smirking like he owns the world? Check. When Yi Fan looking at him like he’s an overgrown child? Double check. Bai JT and ZhangRN do this so well.
Come Ep 17 a.k.a. The Moment I Ascended to Another Plane of Existence: Sang Yan, who has spent YEARS acting like nothing matters, finally lays his heart bare with vulnerabilities all laid out, though to a sleeping Yi Fan. The scenes immediately after totally turned the relationship. At this point, my logical self had clocked out. All that remained was my romance-loving soul screaming.
The drama is as much about first love and tardy communication as it is about timing, growth, and learning how to not mess up a good thing for the second time. If you loved the novel, you’ll love this adaptation. If you’re new to the story, prepare yourself for an emotionally -constipated male lead who thinks he is smooth, a sharp and independent heroine who can dismantle his entire existence with a look, AND enough emotional tension to power a small city.
Highly recommended!
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