This is pretty great so far. I love how all the characters are so distinctive and realistic, including the side roles. All of them are clearly presented with both strengths and flaws. Out of many girl-power and women-centric dramas that have released, I feel like this one stands out above the rest and has great potential :)
To be honest, I didn't like Steven Zhang in this drama. Something about the way he was made-up (his hairstyle…
Will be honest, I was also really really turned off by Steven's styling in the early episodes (that pink print inner shirt was just....questionable), but it gets better later I think as he goes through some costume changes haha. It also fits his character, who initially comes off as crass and lazy and irresponsible, but ends up showing more depth and care over time. I think his acting is great here, different from "The Day of Becoming You" (which I also immensely enjoy), and the other characters are really quite lovable, with different quirks that you grow more and more fond of as you watch further. I'm only halfway through, but I think it is worth giving this a chance!
Incredible acting all around, especially from the main male actors and Zhu Zhu who played Lan Xin Jie (who was honestly surprisingly the most sympathetic character for me in the whole show). However, I think I found the ending and especially the last episode very anticlimactic, like they were attempting to rush and duct tape the whole ordeal. But hey, it's difficult for a lot of Chinese dramas to properly stick the landing, so for what it was this was pretty good popcorn fun. Not the best drama ever, but not horribly offensive.
Since I'm nearly finished with this show, I just wanted to leave some of my thoughts here! I have to say, the acting from the whole cast is impeccable, truly the highlight of this show. This was honestly a great learning opportunity for Bai Jing Ting and Janice Wu to collaborate with veteran actors, and I couldn't be more happy with the results there! Guo San Shuang is a living breathing meme, a ray of sunshine I will not easily forget. I also enjoy how this drama tackles certain sensitive subject matter, particularly the conflicts and troubles that old age brings when confronting the current modern society and relationships, yet still manages to bring lighthearted comedy into the mix. However, the inconsistent pacing and strange cuts/edits between the stories bring this show down for me. The plot is not really overarching, but rather a series of arcs that each focus on a nursing home inhabitant, which is fine conceptually, but naturally leads to me finding some stories to be stronger than others. Maybe I just have a preference for focused overarching plots, so playing hopscotch all over the place put me off. I wish there was more of a sense of continuity so certain characters wouldn't be dropped off once their arcs were "finished," but that's just my personal preference. If fewer characters were focused on, I think the show would have had more breathing room and likely have a more condensed, concise, and consistently enjoyable story. All in all, the highs were very high, but the lows were also a bit low. A bit of wasted potential in my opinion, but I commend the crew's efforts to bring this to life. :)
Nope! This drama pretty much isn't focused on romance in general.
They don't end up together. I felt like there was a hint of Lan Qian Yi being interested in Sun Yi Qiu, but it wasn't reciprocated really and nothing proceeded from there. They were focused on work first and foremost - there's no real romantic subplot. Just one-sided interest.
This show honestly hurts my heart, yet heals it at the same time. It started off kind of slow, but I think it's picking up nicely and the threads are slowly starting to untangle. Really looking forward to seeing how each elderly individual's story gets uncovered as well - it's clear each of them are more than meets the eye.
Ha! So far, Xiao Bai's character gives me Reigen vibes from Mob Psycho 100, gotta love it. It's rather different from his other recent roles - he never ceases to impress.
I've been lurking around here for a while, but just wanted to say that I think a lot of people's complaints and concerns over this drama are valid! But I personally really enjoy this story since, rather than just being a sports drama, it is more of a coming-of-age story that covers these characters growing through adolescence to early adulthood. The responsibilities, decisions, and chaos that comes with that whirlwind of a time, on top of the pressures of being an athlete and dealing with the race against time to attain experience/top tier techniques while the body fails as they overwork themselves, is, in my opinion, rather compelling. Each major character shines in a different way, every single one with their different strengths and weaknesses. Xu Tan, being the diligent and analytical worker yet overthinks and lacks the strength and confidence. Yu Ke Nan, arrogant initially to a fault, but with good reason due to his upbringing, who also works extremely hard so you can't help but understand that his confidence comes from a valid place. And oh, Liu Shi and his unfortunate yet fortunate circumstances, being a player who plays in an outdated style yet is given a chance to train on the national team! And don't even get me started on injuries, the different kinds of coaches (father figures vs. results-oriented coaching), and Fu Jing Chun... And although personally I don't think romance is a highlight of this drama, even the female characters serve some purpose in displaying the struggles athletes have juggling their personal relationships and lives against their first love and passion, their sport.
I honestly don't know what my point is here, but I just wanted to share since I feel like I'm enjoying this drama more than many other people LOL...there are so many ups and downs displayed here, but it *feels* realistic to life and I just really appreciate it.
However, the inconsistent pacing and strange cuts/edits between the stories bring this show down for me. The plot is not really overarching, but rather a series of arcs that each focus on a nursing home inhabitant, which is fine conceptually, but naturally leads to me finding some stories to be stronger than others. Maybe I just have a preference for focused overarching plots, so playing hopscotch all over the place put me off. I wish there was more of a sense of continuity so certain characters wouldn't be dropped off once their arcs were "finished," but that's just my personal preference. If fewer characters were focused on, I think the show would have had more breathing room and likely have a more condensed, concise, and consistently enjoyable story. All in all, the highs were very high, but the lows were also a bit low. A bit of wasted potential in my opinion, but I commend the crew's efforts to bring this to life. :)
I honestly don't know what my point is here, but I just wanted to share since I feel like I'm enjoying this drama more than many other people LOL...there are so many ups and downs displayed here, but it *feels* realistic to life and I just really appreciate it.