This review may contain spoilers
I have mixed feelings on this series.
On one hand, there are two healthy relationships with zero stalking, harassment, crossed boundaries, or consent issues. On the other hand, I felt the actual romance was disappointing.
The main couple doesn’t get together until literally the last 90 seconds of the series. They had a lot of sweet moments in the build up, but that conclusion was a disappointment because it meant they didn’t build any true foundation and I can’t have faith that they’ll actually last.
Xu Qi Zhang has been admiring Ye Guang from afar for so long. He takes kindness to an unhealthy degree, like gifting the expensive headphones he saved up for to him, buying him a drink and going without when he only had money for one, and giving him a vest and tie and going without when he had to share his school uniform. And all this despite Ye Guang coming from a wealthy background and having money to treat himself to all that anyways. He’s got some kind of idol worship going and is willing to sacrifice himself to an unhealthy degree.
Additionally, Ye Guang’s parents are emotionally, verbally, and physically abusive (from a western perspective), but everyone including Xu Qi Zhang and his mother encourages him to reconcile with them because they must just be looking out for his best interests. If they found out about the relationship, I’m sure there would be a massive fallout. I have a separate gripe about them randomly doing a 180 in the finale and easing up on the academic pressure, but I’ll chalk that up to bad writing.
Also, Xu Qi Zhang was running for class president in order to get a scholarship to Berkeley. They never address if he wins, and if he does, that would mean him going to the US for college, which would probably also end their relationship.
They barely got together and there were so many obstacles left unaddressed.
The second couple got together a bit earlier and had a lot of sweet moments. But it was a high schooler dating a presumably grown man (his age wasn’t given), and that itself was creepy. I also took issue with the fact that when Ah Jian said he needed time after they kissed, Ray immediately walked away and completely ghosted Ah Jian. Meanwhile Ah Jian chases after Ray trying to talk to him, and when he finally gets Ray to give him a minute, Ray says he needs to think about it. Like what?? Why does Ray get time to process but Ah Jian doesn’t? I didn’t think it was fair that Ah Jian was chasing after Ray and apologizing as if he did something wrong, when it looked like he didn’t even process for a full 24 hours before he was chasing after Ray.
On one hand, there are two healthy relationships with zero stalking, harassment, crossed boundaries, or consent issues. On the other hand, I felt the actual romance was disappointing.
The main couple doesn’t get together until literally the last 90 seconds of the series. They had a lot of sweet moments in the build up, but that conclusion was a disappointment because it meant they didn’t build any true foundation and I can’t have faith that they’ll actually last.
Xu Qi Zhang has been admiring Ye Guang from afar for so long. He takes kindness to an unhealthy degree, like gifting the expensive headphones he saved up for to him, buying him a drink and going without when he only had money for one, and giving him a vest and tie and going without when he had to share his school uniform. And all this despite Ye Guang coming from a wealthy background and having money to treat himself to all that anyways. He’s got some kind of idol worship going and is willing to sacrifice himself to an unhealthy degree.
Additionally, Ye Guang’s parents are emotionally, verbally, and physically abusive (from a western perspective), but everyone including Xu Qi Zhang and his mother encourages him to reconcile with them because they must just be looking out for his best interests. If they found out about the relationship, I’m sure there would be a massive fallout. I have a separate gripe about them randomly doing a 180 in the finale and easing up on the academic pressure, but I’ll chalk that up to bad writing.
Also, Xu Qi Zhang was running for class president in order to get a scholarship to Berkeley. They never address if he wins, and if he does, that would mean him going to the US for college, which would probably also end their relationship.
They barely got together and there were so many obstacles left unaddressed.
The second couple got together a bit earlier and had a lot of sweet moments. But it was a high schooler dating a presumably grown man (his age wasn’t given), and that itself was creepy. I also took issue with the fact that when Ah Jian said he needed time after they kissed, Ray immediately walked away and completely ghosted Ah Jian. Meanwhile Ah Jian chases after Ray trying to talk to him, and when he finally gets Ray to give him a minute, Ray says he needs to think about it. Like what?? Why does Ray get time to process but Ah Jian doesn’t? I didn’t think it was fair that Ah Jian was chasing after Ray and apologizing as if he did something wrong, when it looked like he didn’t even process for a full 24 hours before he was chasing after Ray.
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