junah

ah really, no chemistry ? Jiang Bai's calm voice that night when he told Lin Zia to go back to sleep pretty much sealed the deal for me.

"That's part of why depression and suicide rates are so high in these countries."

I don't think China is, but South Korea yes.

Population. China has one of the largest populations in the world, so students are basically competing against a lot, lot, lot of other students for a limited number of university spots.

And Asian entrance exams, especially math, can sometimes reach the level of university-level material in other countries. The competition isn't necessarily because every Chinese student is some kind of genius, there are just an enormous number of students competing for the same opportunities.

should add:
"i was just thinking if you had brother who was smart, had great personality, played basketball well, and was not totally ugly, you'd be pretty proud too, right?"
"why would i think such impossible things?"

his face, lol!

She honestly looks like my pretty little sister here in GG. 😂 I suddenly feel so maternal toward Lin Zia. She really can pull off a high schooler, especially with the styling. And her bare face actually looks surprisingly young, so I can totally buy her as a teenager here.

Because the story spans into their adult years, I think it's pretty normal to use adult actors for the teen portion too. Our Secret suffered a bit when it moved into the adult storyline. Everyone still looked like high school students, and then you suddenly have marriage and baby scenes... 😭 It just didn't feel convincing to me.

I don't have an issue with these actors playing teenagers. Honestly, if I didn't know their real ages, I'd probably still assume they're in their early 20s anyway. Even in Go Ahead, I remember thinking Song Wei Long looked much older than the FL and the other ML, only to find out later that he was actually youngest. 😂 I also think knowing an actor's real age can affect how objectively people judge their performance. Once you know "this actor is actually X years old," you start seeing the character through that lens instead of just judging whether they look and behave convincingly in the story.

And maybe I'm just used to Western teen dramas where actors in their late 20s have been playing high schoolers forever, so this really doesn't bother me that much.

Today episode (ep 16) they will go to adult era.

the white shirt ones are so sweet.

Hmm, she didn't have any friends throughout elementary school, spent all of junior high without a single friend, and only started finding friends in high school.

I don't think the drama is saying she'll be lonely her entire life, though. It's more about that particular stage of her life and finally finding people who understand and accept her.

I'm not really sure what you expected her to be when you say her character isn't realistic. She feels pretty believable to me.

up up

you don't want to hear Tian Xiwei singing. Lol.

Today episode are 11-12.. 28 episodes means next week it will be ended (providing iqiyi keeps 2 eps/day).

First, lower your expectations. No, lower them even more 😂

This is a low-budget drama, and the story itself is very light. The plot is simple, predictable, and pretty uneventful. There's no groundbreaking conflict, no huge twists, and (so far) everyone is surprisingly kind. Romance also isn't the main focus yet since they're still in high school.

I think most people started watching because of Tian Xiwei (myself included), while others came because they loved the novel.

That said, the drama is beautifully shot. Tian Xiwei absolutely nails the role of a genius who's also genuinely have a pure heart. And somehow, despite not having any grand tragic scenes, this drama has made a lot of viewers cry.

My guess is that if you're an introvert, neurodivergent, or someone who's ever struggled to fit in or make friends, the early episodes hit surprisingly hard. Lin Zia's loneliness and the feeling of not being understood are portrayed in a very relatable way.

I was honestly skeptical about both the premise and the pairing before watching it. But somehow, it completely hooked me.

It's sad without being tragic, funny without trying too hard to be a comedy, and sweet without becoming overly dramatic. It's one of those quiet dramas that sneaks up on you emotionally.

I meant, which opinion are you referring to exactly?

There are at least two sides in this comment section. One side is criticizing the ML's actions, while the other is defending them. Or were you talking about the AI debate? Or the plot?

Which opinion made you say, "people whose frontal cortex hasn't fully developed yet"?

Your original comment is too vague, so it's hard to tell who you're actually referring to.

It's not AI. Claymotion. look it up and the example of it.

Lol, it's dreamcore cinematography. Look it up.

Long before AI became a thing, filmmakers were already using this kind of dreamy, surreal visual style. Not every heavily stylized shot is AI-generated.

You probably haven't seen many films that use this style before. I'm guessing you're younger, because this kind of cinematography isn't new at all, it just predates the current obsession with calling everything "AI."

make your point clear before judging everyone opinion

It's still not confirmed that it's AI.

The director also seems to like anime-inspired shots and stylized visuals, so I'd rather wait for official confirmation before confidently calling it AI. Right now, it's just speculation.

There's definitely a debate about that scene, but the truth is, no one can say with certainty that it's AI.

People claiming it's AI can't be 100% sure either. At this point, it's all speculation unless there's official confirmation or solid evidence. Until then, it's better to treat it as an assumption, not a fact.

Hasn't he always been competitive, though?

They didn't start as lovers. They started as two academically gifted students who saw each other as rivals, so their dynamic feels pretty realistic to me.

The ML has always been open about admiring her and seeing her as someone he wants to catch up to. Competing with her is his way of proving to himself that he's good enough. At the same time, he helps her, worries about her, and is honest about what he thinks.

I don't see that as toxic or manipulative. It just feels like a teenage boy trying to impress the person he admires, while also wanting to beat her academically. Those two things can coexist, and I think that's what makes their dynamic feel natural.