ronnie091

Mixed feelings...

My first impression is that there are 2 main appeals to this drama. The first is that people have been wanting to see this CP since LBFAD. The second is that people are always criticizing Yu Shuxin only playing cutesy, babyish characters and this was her chance to add something more serious to her portfolio. So far, neither box is really ticked for me. These two had more chemistry in LBFAD and I wasn't even rooting for them to end up together in that show.

As for Yu Shuxin, her characters never annoyed me that much because I feel that she is a naturally bubbly person off camera. That is why seeing her play this stoic, dull person it looks like it is physically hurting her to play this character. To me Yun Wei Shan just looks and acts emotionally constipated. YS shines in her comedic roles and this boring character is just doing nothing for me. She did kill the fighting scenes though, especially the mud scene. That was badass.

As for Zhange Linghe, I find him to be just the opposite of YS. He shines in more serious, emotionally tormented roles. The Story of Kunning Palace is easily one his best roles to date in my opinion. He's a great actor and obviously very handsome but I'm not seeing either trait being taken advantage of in this show. His spoiled, prince type persona in the beginning just isn't a full sale, and then he's immediately thrown into a leadership role and changes his personality that fast? Also they went too heavy with his make up and wardrobe where he looks like a Japanese geisha, just with more glitter.

As for the rest of the characters/story...I'm really hoping things get more interesting. So far there's been gruelingly long scenes of dialogue with very little action. The first half of the first episode was spent talking about was going to happen. Then the 3rd or4th episode the two spies literally talked for 75% of the episode. There's slightly more passion/chemistry sparking between Shangguan Qian and Shang Jue but I feel like she spends more time talking about him, than actually with him.

As for the "villian" brothers. They're not very interesting. I'm not sure if we are supposed to pity them or hate them? Maybe both? And the comedy is not comedying. Nothing clearly meant to be funny actually made me laugh. Every "funny" scene feels inorganic and forced into the overall dark and serious setting. The only scene slightly amusing is when Shang Jue calls Ziyu out for noticing Shangguan Qian's good looks and Wei Shan gives him a death stare. But unless you're five years old you probably won't find Gong Zi Shang funny either.

The cinematography is pretty good. I have no problem with the dark vibes, graphics and settings. It was part of the appeal for me. The ambient sounds can be a little too intense for what's actually happening though. The background music for Shang Jue's entrance and for the scene where the brides arrive by boat was too dramatic for the scene. But overall the OST sounds decent and fits the drama well.

The premises of this drama seems really interesting so I'm going to stick it out until the end. It's a short enough drama to endure, even if things don't get better...UPDATE: I'm actually dropping it for now. I may circle back another time but after 8 episodes I was still bored to death.

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A relentless pursuit that only works out in dramas...

I don't typically gravitate towards school dramas but this one is highly recommended and I absolutely loved Zhang Maioyi in TFF.

The drama is very light and sweet. No useless scenes or characters. Fast paced. This is basically a short, easy-watch for anyone who's looking for a coming of age romance with a happy ending. There's not much conflict in the show at all and anything unpleasant that does come up is resolved fairly quickly. Rangrang is cute and noble, but I'm typically not a fan of the dull, quiet leads. I can't really tell if it's good acting because it just seems easy to deliver a dry performance. But I can see what Zaizai sees - handsome face, velvety voice, silent do-gooder. The one thing that bothered me with the story was on the bus when she calls out the pervert and no one believes her or the victim until Rangrang speaks up. I took it as basically a woman's word is worthless until a man speaks up? Maybe I'm overthinking it but no one supported her until he said something...

What I do like is how much he has her back. On the bus first and then backing her up when she was accused of stealing. Finally, when Rangrang, Gu Ran and Guan Fang all showed up to have the girls backs on the basketball court, it was very charming! They were like 3 white knights coming to the rescue. I also like that the scene wasn't overplayed or overacted with them trying to act too macho or aggressive.
Zaizai is easily my favorite character. Only she can make Rangrang smile his biggest dimpliest smile. She is the definition of a ray of sunshine but she is so much more than just a cute sunny presence. She is clever, generous and optimistic. Yet, even though she is sweet, she isn't a doormat either. She is confident in herself in a lot of ways and when she's accused of stealing she doesn't cower or cry but fights for herself. Love that.

The 2CP is hilarious. They are just as interesting and entertaining as the main CP and they are a perfect match. They're both mischievous and have the same unserious, manic energy. And in addition to being the fun ones in the group, they are also fiercely loyal to their friends and family. My only complaint about this CP is how oblivious Jiang Jia can be at times to his affections. But at least, once she learns it was Gu Ran who gave her the watch, she realizes that she's liked him all along and immediately lets go of her old crush.

And finally Guan Fang somehow fits into the chaos perfectly as well. This friend group quickly became one of my favorites. They're not just funny to watch together but they stick together and help each other without question. In my opinion the best chemistry in the show is between these 5. And I love how they all stay so close into adulthood.

Music and cinematography are decent as well. There's nothing grand going on in terms of the setting but I think the plain background gives the story the homey feeling they were aiming for. This one is a definite rewatch for me when I need a filler drama or just want to put something on that I don't need to fully engage with.

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