KingC

My sister too, slept while watching the 1st episode.
Slice of life dramas have that kind of effect, but they are often the ones which are the most highly rated. Nope, I don't mind spoilers. I actually read your article on Forever Love. :)
But, everyone seems so serious in it. Which was why I never really watched it.

Really wonderful article, Cho Na! Personally, my top picks are ITSAY and Lovely Us. There was something so real and raw about the portrayal of daily school life, pressure of exams and family. (Le Coup De Foudre follows closely behind.) The others are more fluffy and light. Enjoyed Weight Lifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo a lot, though!
Haven't checked out Prince of Tennis, Reply 1997 and Forever Love yet.

I hope the quality doesn't drop. That is my only worry, since it has 36 Episodes. This is probably the only drama that managed to punch the "childhood nostalgia" the right way after Lovely Us (2020). Not to mention the realistic early 2000s and late 1990's setting.

Have to say, this drama gives off really strong nostalgia vibes. Particularly the school.

I don't think it's a time loop. I've watched 12 episodes and it seems like the ML in 2019 suffers from whatever the FL is doing in 2006. Like parallel timeline with the same events happening, but with 'different' pace of time. And yes, there are severe consequences that comes with attempting to change the past to shape the future. There are several possibilities to how this drama might end. I haven't watched Doctor Who (the no. of seasons is one reason why I never started it), but from Ye Youning's current situation seems to be due to Wen Xia's wish, which might be why he doesn't travel to a time before his birth.

I forgot - there is a bear guy in some episodes helping along. I wonder who he is.

I'm on EP6, so I don't know much. But, it seems like we'll receive the answer probably at the end. It's clear that he never intended to time travel to his school days. But, when he tried travelling back, he got stuck in a reality that he had absolutely no idea about and had to find out through others. But, now he knows that the secret is the phone. He keeps in contact with the Xia Wen Xie with that - and attempts to change the events in the past after learning about everything that had lead him to his current state. He is attempting to go back to his original timeline, but each change is landing him in new versions of his future. But... I think the end result will still be the same. The Universe has laws. He can't bend them. Right now, it looks like he is trying to save someone and also remove his regrets. But, that means he is attempting to change his whole future. Even his own timeline. Chances of that happening is slim. Unless he decides that he'd rather get stuck in another version than return to his original timeline.
And in the trailer, there is a point where it is implied that she forgets him. And from the 1st episode, we see that he intially ignored everyone and everything in 2006, but he chose differently. (That might be the "major" game changer/butterfly effect.) That explains why the female lead acted like she knew him and liked him. Ye Youning isn't aware that he was going to time travel that day. But, the female lead's younger self might have already experienced the chain of events that he is now directing her to do. (Like, in a really popular movie. I don't know if you saw it - the main character is protected by someone whom he suspects to be his father. But, he later has to time travel for some reasons and ends up in the same scenario, witnessing the events of his past self (in this case, it is happening in the same timelime). Except that he finds out his dad never protected him. It was he himself who protected him. He did not realize that happened until he had done it. Xia WenXie maybe the same case. She already knows everything that happened. He, in the 1st ep of 2019, did not know it until he got transported back in time. Ye Youning created a butterfly effect, altering his past. That is bound to affect his future.
I agree, it deserves a higher rating. The ratings are low because only 52 users rated it. This drama is not fluff even if it is under "Sweet On" series. There are some harsh stuff and so many theories. But, I hope everything comes to a full circle. I've seen time travel dramas where the writers do a cope out ending. This one, judging from the first episode, has some hope.

That makes sense. But, if he is time travelling in his own universe, he went back into the past. There, he made the ripple and chose the opposite of everything he did in the first place. And I agree about the "creating new timeline". But, at the end of the 2nd episode, we see things flip back to square one...
I watched a movie where the theory was like this: if you made an alternate choice, that particular choice creates a new dimension which is completely unrelated to the other. That is, a parallel universe. (In the movie, the girl receives a letter from her future self, asking her to change the events of the past. A professor explains the concept of time travel and parallel universes this way.)

The main concept of this drama might be "Parallel Universe". Basically, there is a theory in Quantum Physics that there are several parallel universes. Eg: when we make a choice, we live through its consequences, unable to change the outcome. In another universe and timeline, we might have made another completely different choice. Ye Youning is accidentally being put into his other universes where he made different decisions and ended up with different results. He is trying to get back to his original timeline, but it's not an easy task. (Two Japanese movies, Orange (2015) and 100th Love With You dealt with these themes really well. This drama is giving me similar vibes.)

Thanks a lot, Jean! :D
L&R is definitely a worthy watch.

When ALP began airing, it had a 9 in MDL. (I saw this from the Currently Airing Dramas in the front page. This usually happens at the beginning.) Then, it dropped to an 8.8. When I began watching it, the score had dropped to an 8.2. Now, it's an 8.6!!

Yeah. They'll only release BTS after the drama is officially out. This is MGTV. So, I'm going to keep my hopes low.

Love and Redemption was more plot driven. Ashes of Love was more character driven. (I rated both the same for their quality.) But, I'd say Love and Destiny and Ancient Love Poetry captured my attention a lot quicker than both of these.

Don't worry. SML and FL will end up on opposite ends. One main point: th4ecompany kicks out Bo Xu and hires 2ML after lots of talks and arguments. I watched some company stuff in the first few episodes and them began skipping everything. But, the main couple is totally worth it.

Found an interview with the screen writers. The script took two years to write and Xing Ling, the author herself was one of them. It explains several things about the first arc and why they chose to go that way.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/LtgMexK2WEXhftArX--kQQ
(I had to use Google Translate.)

ALP for me. I could connect to the characters really well than the other three.

She actually does fit her character. She plays "two" different personalities and out of everyone in the cast, I think she was the best choice. (Childike, to a Chief God then during the second half.) She becomes God Like, particularly after a few major events after EP8-10. Right now, she is still in training mode.

Hehe... It's one of my favorites now. I just love all the characters and everything about it. :D

I'm glad that they chose to end the drama exactly the way it does in the book. The synopsis of the novel Ancient God itself is melancholic: a Goddess awaiting for the return of her loved one who had sacrificed himself and turned to dust thousands of eons ago.
Shangu mentioned once how a God's life was too long and they never cherished it. The final sentence in the book is how Bai Jue's return would always be the most joyful moment in her life even if there are going to be millions of years of ups and downs. So, wrapping up the story with her most happy moment is fair. They are Gods. Plenty of time for them to catch up. [And reincarnate hopefully.]
It could've ended worse.
Honestly, I love this drama. But, it is also one of the most tragic ones I've seen. Ancient Love Poetry has some mass 'self-sacrifices' by many characters. It pains me that so many of them didn't have a happy ending. (In EP45, Tianqi tells Bai Jue to let him do the Tribulation as he had already lost everyone whom he cared about and wanted him to have a good ending. Yuemi, Gu Jun, Zhihan and Hongri died. Not to mention all the Gods who self sacrificed themselves to save the God Realm in EP16 and Shangu and Bai Jue themselves.) Everyone went through pain. If they tried to make everyone happy, it would take atleast two more episodes and multiple time skips for that to happen. Well... I'll imagine that everyone eventually came back.

It's funny because I began this drama at random because "Doom At Your Service" bored me to death and all the negative reviews of ALP made me think this would be a good 'filler'. For my initial ongoing review, I rated it an 8/10 and was not much impressed. Now, 40+ episodes later, this has become one of my favorite dramas with a solid 9.5/10. (The story itself is nerve wracking and different. Even the supporting characters are so strong and unforgettable!)
And now, it's ending and I'm feeling slightly upset, thinking about not having an episode to look forward to every week.