go. check. it. out.
it is i, the niel.
i honestly had no idea what i was getting into when i started watching this show, but i'm so glad i gave it a chance! i only skimmed the reviews beforehand, and if you're gonna watch it, i'd recommend keeping an eye on the symbolism used throughout. pay attention to colors (red and blue in particular), parallels, art, objects, music, and sound cues. it's not too difficult to pick up on what's being referenced in a lot of the scenes.
this show isn't necessarily groundbreaking or overly elaborate, but the cinematography is absolutely beautiful! the actors did an amazing job portraying their characters. at first, the development of feelings between the couple was a bit confusing, but eventually, you realize "oh, that's kind of the entire point". the story leaves a trail of small clues in nearly every scene. it's a subtle coming-of-age story, filled with uncertain emotions, hesitant communication, and novel experiences. i think it's very intentional that the audience can't really clue in on their relationship until about halfway through the show; this mirrors how the characters are experiencing it themselves.
this is one of those shows that you should watch in one sitting. there were some elements thrown in that were central to chen li's character that i sort of didn't understand. it felt like they were resolved without any questions asked or much explanation. furthermore, the latter part of the show felt slightly rushed and the dialogue didn't really elevate the story. xiao zhi's brother, xiao long, was sort of a confounding character, and i didn't see much growth from him, even after time had clearly passed. still, i do appreciate how simple they kept the cast of characters, for the most part. a part of me wishes there had been more verbal communication, but since symbolism and unspoken words are so crucial to this show, i'm not too bothered by it.
one thing worth mentioning: the english subtitles are incredibly small throughout the show. i couldn't read the overlaid english translations during the opening for each episode, which was disappointing because i think they were central to the storytelling. at times, some moments were left without captions, such as random dialogue and text messages, but those were less essential.
i really liked the art style and the overall aesthetic. i might be wrong, but during the intro and credits, i'm pretty sure that some of the art was ai-generated(?). that felt kind of weird, given that art is a core detail throughout. the whole show is super well-done, but that strangely seems like a cop-out. i dunno. just a slightly frustrating thought.
largely impressive! seriously give it a watch if you've got a few hours to spare. shazam!
best,
the niel.
i honestly had no idea what i was getting into when i started watching this show, but i'm so glad i gave it a chance! i only skimmed the reviews beforehand, and if you're gonna watch it, i'd recommend keeping an eye on the symbolism used throughout. pay attention to colors (red and blue in particular), parallels, art, objects, music, and sound cues. it's not too difficult to pick up on what's being referenced in a lot of the scenes.
this show isn't necessarily groundbreaking or overly elaborate, but the cinematography is absolutely beautiful! the actors did an amazing job portraying their characters. at first, the development of feelings between the couple was a bit confusing, but eventually, you realize "oh, that's kind of the entire point". the story leaves a trail of small clues in nearly every scene. it's a subtle coming-of-age story, filled with uncertain emotions, hesitant communication, and novel experiences. i think it's very intentional that the audience can't really clue in on their relationship until about halfway through the show; this mirrors how the characters are experiencing it themselves.
this is one of those shows that you should watch in one sitting. there were some elements thrown in that were central to chen li's character that i sort of didn't understand. it felt like they were resolved without any questions asked or much explanation. furthermore, the latter part of the show felt slightly rushed and the dialogue didn't really elevate the story. xiao zhi's brother, xiao long, was sort of a confounding character, and i didn't see much growth from him, even after time had clearly passed. still, i do appreciate how simple they kept the cast of characters, for the most part. a part of me wishes there had been more verbal communication, but since symbolism and unspoken words are so crucial to this show, i'm not too bothered by it.
one thing worth mentioning: the english subtitles are incredibly small throughout the show. i couldn't read the overlaid english translations during the opening for each episode, which was disappointing because i think they were central to the storytelling. at times, some moments were left without captions, such as random dialogue and text messages, but those were less essential.
i really liked the art style and the overall aesthetic. i might be wrong, but during the intro and credits, i'm pretty sure that some of the art was ai-generated(?). that felt kind of weird, given that art is a core detail throughout. the whole show is super well-done, but that strangely seems like a cop-out. i dunno. just a slightly frustrating thought.
largely impressive! seriously give it a watch if you've got a few hours to spare. shazam!
best,
the niel.
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