This review may contain spoilers
Romantic Story about Realistic Relationships
I hope the title of this review doesn't put you off watching this series. If you are a hopeless romantic who only likes sappy, happy endings, this is not the show for you. If you are past the starry-eyed phase of love and want to see something more messy, complicated, sophisticated and realistic, then give this a try. This is a story about the love between two young people who grow up together and as they grow, so does their love evolve with time. It's not always perfect, but it's real and the viewer is taken along through their ups and downs.
Zhou Shui is an idealistic young man with dreams of becoming a famous movie director. He has a few more years of school left before he can realize his big dreams which are suddenly derailed by a beautiful young woman with a hammer in her hand. Although she isn't there for him, Shui is so taken by her charm and fire that he does what he always does--pick up his video camera and film. Very soon these two idealists have their lives planned out and are ready to take on the world in pursuit of their dreams together, come what may.
The acting and directing in this series is outstanding. Our main leads are gifted young talents who, with exemplary direction, were able to take me through the highest highs and lowest lows in their relationship. I grew to care for them both deeply and rooted for them from the bottom of my heart. I loved the storyline from beginning to end. Even the night shots of the city at the top of the program gives sophisticated vibes, telling you that you are about to see something different than your typical romance drama. I was all in and made to feel a voyeur in the lives of two young people, who speak directly to the audience from time to time, breaking the fourth wall. When it happens during the first episode, I felt surprised in an unpleasant way, and doubted the integrity of the production. But it worked here, because the intent was to make us feel like voyeurs in this couple's star-crossed story. To further this sense of voyeurism, we have a younger couple who manage to find some of Shui's old recordings of his life with Dai and are brought together in their curiosity of how their romance ends up. Do they stay together or break up?
The intent of this series isn't to tell the story of a couple that fall in love and live happily ever after. It's to describe the life, love and pitfalls of two people who try their hardest to love one another and come up short. Neither are perfect, both make horrible mistakes and lose faith in each other. They deal with obstacles, upon obstacles, expect the impossible from each other, and transition into winter with acceptance and closure. It was the most grown-up romance I have ever watched and I loved it.
A+
Zhou Shui is an idealistic young man with dreams of becoming a famous movie director. He has a few more years of school left before he can realize his big dreams which are suddenly derailed by a beautiful young woman with a hammer in her hand. Although she isn't there for him, Shui is so taken by her charm and fire that he does what he always does--pick up his video camera and film. Very soon these two idealists have their lives planned out and are ready to take on the world in pursuit of their dreams together, come what may.
The acting and directing in this series is outstanding. Our main leads are gifted young talents who, with exemplary direction, were able to take me through the highest highs and lowest lows in their relationship. I grew to care for them both deeply and rooted for them from the bottom of my heart. I loved the storyline from beginning to end. Even the night shots of the city at the top of the program gives sophisticated vibes, telling you that you are about to see something different than your typical romance drama. I was all in and made to feel a voyeur in the lives of two young people, who speak directly to the audience from time to time, breaking the fourth wall. When it happens during the first episode, I felt surprised in an unpleasant way, and doubted the integrity of the production. But it worked here, because the intent was to make us feel like voyeurs in this couple's star-crossed story. To further this sense of voyeurism, we have a younger couple who manage to find some of Shui's old recordings of his life with Dai and are brought together in their curiosity of how their romance ends up. Do they stay together or break up?
The intent of this series isn't to tell the story of a couple that fall in love and live happily ever after. It's to describe the life, love and pitfalls of two people who try their hardest to love one another and come up short. Neither are perfect, both make horrible mistakes and lose faith in each other. They deal with obstacles, upon obstacles, expect the impossible from each other, and transition into winter with acceptance and closure. It was the most grown-up romance I have ever watched and I loved it.
A+
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