This review may contain spoilers
Experiencing Youth
I have no other way to describe this drama other than the word 'youth'. I think what made me so attached to this show was that it felt like living through the bittersweet joyful days of youth, one that I never had/may never have. It's very pure, to a point that makes it healing and comforting. If you're looking for a heartwarming drama that can make you smile, I think this may be the right one for you!The story and the characters are extremely easy to fall in love with, I was just about 5 eps in when I knew it would be hard to move on and now that I've finished it that hasn't changed. Perhaps I'm a tad bit of an emotional person, but even for a fun and happy drama, there were moments that I cried my eyes out for. It wasn't anything that was heartwrenching, but rather it was that bittersweet nostalgia of youth and purity that brought me to tears. It was those moments full of laughter when we're young, that as we grow up, we may not be able to get again.
All the main characters are kind and emotionally mature in their own ways, despite being 'young'. It made me think of the ones who grow up too fast, the little adults that mature too quickly, for better or for worse. I really don't think it gets more youth than this HAHAH.
*spoilers below*
Zhang Lu Rang is actually a really heartbreaking character, who I think is really strong. I think I would have crumbled if I had been in his shoes. He never complains or speaks up about how the favouritsm is affecting him, and it's to a point where we barely get a glimpse of the amount of pain he was in that led to him distancing from his brother. I cried at the part when his brother realised that being quiet and not smiling a lot was not because of his personality, but rather that he couldn't because of the family environment. Zai Zai helped him to brighten up a lot, and every time his dimple smile came out because of Zai Zai, I felt an unexplainable amount of joy.
Zai Zai is everyone's favourite sunshine, she brings so much joy in every moment and scene that she's in. She's fun but she's not weak. There's multiple moments where she stands up for herself and I just adore her. Jiang Jia is an energetic character who always got everyone's back and Gu Ran is a chaotic but actually really kind and wise. Guan Fang is someone who has learnt his lessons and has grown up to become a loving friend and grandson. (If I really go indepth into each character it's never gonna end) They all form healthy relationships and their friendship is to die for frfr, I fall in love with every of their little outtings and all their schenanigans.
The acting I wouldn't say is spectacular performance of the year, but it's mostly because I think we don't dive too deep into intense scenes. They all do a good job in portraying their characters and the most important part of this show: youth. I love love love love the concepts in this drama, mainly speaking of their video diaries. The angle that the show goes for is very nostalgic, as if looking back onto memories just as we would our own. Every moment feels golden and just so precious and endearing, even if it is the simplest of things. I think they did amazing with pacing, other than perhaps the last episode, the pacing is very good and it doesn't feel rushed or draggy and boring. I also love the detail where they turn 17 at ep 17 and so on. It was just so nice to see them grow up and it felt like I was growing with them. The music is also rather fitting, my favourite is 'Paige's Summer' that feels extra nostalgic. I just wish there was more episodes honestly. I'm so attached to them that I would have loved to see every small details of their lives as they grew up. For example, perhaps there could have been more on Rang Rang's healing regarding the issue with his parents.
Overall, I think it's well done in all aespects and it's definitely one of those shows that you rewatch again and again for the comfort. The characters are lovable, there isn't unnecessary drama or misunderstandings, there's healthy relationships, there's healing. there's love, and many many memories. It's definitely a drama that will forever be a comfort, will be super hard to move on T-T.
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This review may contain spoilers
"take a chance with me, it's never too late"
despite what many feel about the ending, i actually still quite liked it. i admit, it may not be the most satisfying for everyone but with what they had, i still think that the execution and message was still done well.before i dive into what i love about this show like the crazed fool i am right now, i'll clear my not-so-positive points. well first, if you're seeking a healing, stress-relief romcom, definitely follow everyone's advance and stop at the 33 mins mark of the last episode. secondly, at least personally, i did not care as much for the other couples. i have especially mixed feelings about mingze and shiyun due to the setting, dynamic, and with that ending. to me, while i was definitely not in love with their characters nor the cp, i found their settings interesting with mingze's unconditional love and shiyun's more complex and gray character. in the rewritten timeline, while i am not invested in their story, it was acceptable and i was glad for them after they grew up. BIG FAT HOWEVER, i feel icky with the ending that hints towards their love line in the original timeline...because shiyun in this timeline remains toxic and led xuejiao astray and it really feels off for mingze to love someone who was so terrible to his sister. thirdly, i dearly love the ost but it is quite a limited line up, i wish there was more T-T
NOW, why i loveeee this show. i think many who enjoyed this drama can relate to the desire of wanting to go back in time and right all your wrongs, all the stupid mistakes, all the missed opportunities because of how we were when we were young. the pressure to do good, social class gaps, the desire for excellence yet how easy it is to fall behind, and the relationships that bind us from unstable families, expectations, to toxic friends, and stagnant relationships. for a good half of it, summit of our youth is a feel good show of getting a second chance to start over and acing it all. who wouldn't want to go back in time, do a better job for better achievements, and a good understanding of trends and economy to help your family and friends lead a better life?
gu xuejiao's mid-life crisis may not necessarily apply to everyone but it is not difficult to empathise or understand. she chose love over herself over and over again, making mistakes and feeling like it's almost too late when she realises it and wants to bring her life back on track. she puts in effort to make up for the missed opportunities but it's almost not enough: because she can't change the pages in ink of the chances she's missed and the person she did not become, because her efforts are not enough against the power of connections, wealth and capitalism. on the other hand, lin zhihua is slightly more subtle in his thoughts and perhaps more open to interpretations (this is my opinion of what he may feel). lin zhihua is the model student, the envy and role model of many, he excels in his studies perhaps even easier than others. he flipped and aced all because he chose to. he has the ability, the talent, the effort, the mindset, he knows what to do to get what he wants and needs. that's why in his younger years it almost felt a bore to him. despite all these areas of excellence, he has a pretentious and dysfunctional family, there is money, there is love for him, but there is also arguments and fake harmony. he's not unfeeling, and especially in the latter episodes we can see clearly that he is not stoic. in fact, he smiles a lot, can get clingy, expresses his emotions, and is impacted by the people he cares about such as his best friend, gao rui's passing in the original timeline. xuejiao caught his eye and attention when he sat on the edge of that bridge, perhaps not necessarily contemplating to jump but nevertheless encouraged by her words. yet over the next few times they meet, he sees her potential wasted on a relationship that she's sacrificing her life and career for, it frustrates him yet he can do nothing but watch. i feel where they align is this: they're two people who have experienced so much and yet also feel like they've become stagnant in their life and growth, finding the chance for change when they go back in time.
i know some are unhappy with yi tianyu's development in the later half and i very much understand it. in fact, i even thought at first that he would change and perhaps end up with tiantian (im still very much okay and happy that it didnt happen). while i understand why people disagree with the development, i also had an alternative thought that it may be in character and even purposeful. the reason why tianyu and xuejiao didn't work out (at least imo) was that they were both love-brained people who did not help each other grow, xuejiao chose love and tianyu remained immature and perhaps even spoiled. sometimes just loving each other is not enough in life. in summit of our youth, i find the characters are consistent across timelines especially so for mingze, shiyun and yi tianyu. if shiyun never stood up for herself and left in this timeline, if xuejiao never avoided her, she may still be the same (hence my unhappiness with the ending for her and mingze). in the same way, i feel yi tianyu was the same across both timelines: immature. i do think its unfair that he has to lose his crush because of his actions in another life but despite what he says or thinks, even in this life, he is the same, even with different circumstances he is still the same. which is why even if cliche and a little frustrating, i didn't find his development difficult to accept. in fact, i think the drama does relatively well in character writing, some more subtle than others.
at its core, summit of our youth is about second chances. if we want healing and happiness, it allows us to dream of happy endings and a better written past for ourselves and the people we hold dear. at the same time, for those who acknowledge the ending, it leaves a taste of bittersweetness with the truth of the inability to change the past and yet leaving us with the hope to still rewrite the future. we cannot reverse the chances we lose, we only have the present and the future to try and change it. and maybe it took that trigger of rewriting their past for huahua and jiaojiao to realise that it may never be too late to do what we want, to become a better person, to love ourselves and others better. what is important is us: do we have the courage to change? how far will we go for that change? how many chances will we take or lose? this enables their growth and on top of that is sprinkled with a dash of the love we deserve, one that challenges and grows with us, one that values trust and companionship no matter what happens. the fiery passion of youth that not all of us may have experienced, the regrets that haunt the time and people we've lost, do we have to courage to confront them and move forward? perhaps youth, passion, and chances aren't limited even if time may feel so, so long as we live. and perhaps at the end of the arduous journey of successes and failures towards our dreams and desires, better versions of ourselves and our loved ones await for us at the summit of our youth.
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a romcom at its core with an interesting set-up and wrapped up story
to really start off, i feel the need to say that i feel like this series isn't so serious about itself; it's a lighthearted, fun and chaotic romcom at its core, with a tinge of sadness and for some, reality.i went in blind with not much expectations and i really ended up enjoying it and looking forward to it every week. for a series of its length, i think they did well in pacing and developing the characters and its story plots. by the end of ep 7, they managed to tie everything (or well most of it) in for me, especially regarding the questions and doubts i had. i wavered a bit between ep 1-4 but ep 5-7 really set it all in and boosted my enjoyment. (yes i am biased because ep 6 is my favourite)
for maximum enjoyment, i recommend either 1. don't think too much about it, 2. give it time to sink in and pick back up, 3. really dive into understanding the story and characters. I think other than the fact that i have a soft spot for romcoms, i really liked how i could, in some way, understand and relate to the characters especially on the issue of familial pressure and how it conflicts with the love you have with your family. they also had some really good emotional scenes and conversations (coughs in ep 6)
from a story standpoint, i felt like they did good in creating character motives. these characters are anything but perfect, they mess up, they don't make the smartest choices but we can see their intentions and reasons (for the most part) there is a sense of realism in the portrayal of the characters and progression of story, even if its short so it may seem rushed sometimes. it's not perfect, but really most shows aren't and for me they don't need to be because my feelings for it was still very positive and it still brought me joy.
the actors did really good, they're not experts or like perfect but they did an amazing job especially sunnypak in their first series together. sunnypak had really good chemistry and tension too. i liked yiwa and marine, they had chemistry, but their intimate/ kissing scenes still need some work. the production quality was definitely on their higher side with a good concept and aesthetically pleasing scenes. I really liked the ost esp the main one by sunnypak "you couple me"/"you paired with me" that they used for both the op and the ed; i think it suited the theme and i found the lyrics "the bride is paired with the groom, and you, no matter what, will be paired with me" quite cute.
like with any show, it may not be your cup of tea and that's fine, it's just that it was mine and i do think its worth the shot :D at the end of the day, how much you feel and take from a show depends on you and how you understand or relate to it so have fun and take what u can from it!
P.S. watch ep 6 :)
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