haloum

I loved the beautifully lit cinematography, the romantic lighting, and the perpetual state of golden hour... :p

I usually avoid watching teenage/highschool romance because it often feels weird to me. Sometimes they're just plainly unrelatable. And sometimes there's a lot of directors/writers that throw in a highschool setting into a story that would work way better for adult characters, not to mention the creepy directors that project their predatory gaze into these kinda shows (hello hollywood, hello sam levinson..) But this show was not even close to any of that. It felt like the showmakers created this out of a deeply beloved nostalgia, and maybe even one they felt after becoming parents themselves, because some scenes, like the ones with Qin Ye Yun's dad, felt like they came from a parental perspective..

I found it really touching how this brings up economical and class struggles.

I know a lot of people dislike the ML/Jiang Qiao Xi, and even tho I don't agree with his actions, I see where he's coming from. I thought his character was beautifully complex, and the shame he felt was very human.

This was also a confirmation for me that Zhang Linghe can really ACT. It's a shame some people dismiss his talent just because he's known for being good looking.

Overall, I really loved this drama and I think it deserves a much higher rating than the current one.