sulkytofu

I think it's actually good that you wrote about why you didn't like it! I totally agree that there are lots of parts which may come off as boring, and also think if you're not really invested in the main couple it may not work for you. Moreover, I think that what you mentioned is really helpful for people who want to set their expectations first before watching the drama. Hopefully you find a better watch - it sucks this didn't work for you, but maybe another drama will catch your eye instead!

What do you all think - can I watch this if I haven't read the novel yet, or should I read the novel first before watching this? I'm scared to pick this one up even though I loved TMOPB because of all the comments about the (I haven't looked at spoilers yet, but from what I can tell) bittersweet ending!

Loved that drama so much! They kind of have some aspects of the same vibe, i.e. military, school, bromance, etc., so I definitely see what you mean.

Don't worry, you're not alone. Over at the cdramas subreddit, we literally spam each other with screenshots of Xu Kai over Discord on a daily basis.

Super interesting because I feel the opposite way! I'm a huge fan of Chae Soo Bin, especially after Sassy Go Go. Meanwhile I feel as if Jung Jae In has been constantly working in romcoms recently, and had hoped to see him in some other genres of dramas instead. I'm going to stay optimistic and look forward to both their performances however, since I think the plot of this sounds really interesting, and can't wait to start watching!

I'm a sucker for this kind of trope and can't wait to watch this one! So glad it's gonna be on IQIYI, hopefully it'll be on the app with subs as well!

Thanks so much! I think I'll give it a try - I'm a sucker for romance and fluff, and don't mind if plot is sidelined for the main couple. Thank you for the advice ~

Wondering if anyone can provide some insight on what expectations one should have when watching this. Have seen a lot of mixed comments, and am on the fence about starting this one even though I currently love the synopsis and it has a lot of tropes I'm into.

Yep! I like to think of this version as just one big fanservice. It doesn't really take itself seriously, it's just a big bunch of tropes, but if you're attached to the characters from Season 1 it's really adorable (and Chu Yan gets to date as well instead of being sidelined!) From a story and plot point of view, I think S1 did a much better job despite the controversy, but I think if you liked the characters you'll have a great time watching S2.

Choi Jin Hyuk is so selective with his projects that I have the feeling this is already going to be a great watch! So excited for this and the storyline sounds top-notch.

No. You'll find out later on. She doesn't really play that big of a role until the very end (or maybe it's because I skipped all of the parts with her since I only really cared about the couple scenes.)

I'm so excited for this but it seems that only a couple episodes are going to be aired, since it ends in May. Going to wait until the whole show is released before watching!

Xu Kai was an incredible choice for casting and is really well-matched for this role. I agree with Cheng Xiao, however - she doesn't really fit the image I have of Yao Yao either. I would have probably gone with Zhao Lusi for my choice, or perhaps even Bai Lu for the sake of the explosive chemistry between her and Xu Kai. However, I will look forward to seeing when the trailer comes out, and perhaps this is an opportunity for viewers to see Cheng Xiao's acting capabilities.

The translation itself is not finished yet, but the translator does an amazing job. I believe the original raws are on JJWXC. If you like the story though, it has the same feeling as the gaming novel Falling into Your Smile, which stars Xu Kai and Cheng Xiao. You might like that as well if you're still waiting for this one to finish.

It's really late, like past episode 20 I believe. However, immediately after he finds out that's when their romantic relationship begins to start. I personally wasn't bothered by it very much because Ji Heng shows signs of possessiveness and caring towards Tian Qi way before it happens, and you can really see how much Ji Heng begins to depend on her. I think this is a little different compared to other dramas, so it doesn't feel as angsty knowing that he doesn't find out Tian Qi's identity until later.

The novel is so good, and it's an adorable story that has really cute bickering moments between the leads, but is also a story of finding one's self and following one's dreams and passions. I'm sure Janice Wu will do an amazing job especially because she was such a great casting choice for Le Coup de Foudre, which gives me the same feelings as this novel.

I'm so shocked that this is being adapted, and I can't wait to see the finalization of the casting. I'll note that Priest's works are popular precisely in China because her novels (if you buy them from the store) often focus more on the "soul" relationship between the main characters, as opposed to explicit romance (although some of her novels do have more obvious scenes). In other words, I do feel that compared to other BL novels, Priest's are more readily adaptable to the small screen because of these reasons. I'm still really surprised and I can't wait to hear more information about the drama.

I think we are supposed to think that he "isn't confident enough," that he worries that he cannot be honest with her about his limitations and his flaws. In turn, the FL constantly emphasizes to the ML that the thing she values the most is ironically his honesty and loyalty.

I've mentioned this before, but in both S1 and S2 honestly the healthy, in real life option that EVERYONE should be choosing is hands down Chu Yan. The second lead proved so many times that he cares about the FL's happiness before his own, and that he never does anything manipulative to her. I think the drama would have been much more interesting if the ML was more honest with the FL - it would be so refreshing to see a ML who is not confident but is upfront about it, instead of trying to gaslight/manipulate the FL into falling for him.

This is a huge spoiler, especially if you haven't watched S1, so please read at your own risk. Basically that the ML psychologically manipulated the FL by faking the FL's leukemia records and gaslighting her into thinking that she was terminally ill (so that she would marry him). Many people believed that was abusive behaviour and were very shocked at how Season 1 employed such a storyline and conveyed these actions as romantic.

Here for Kim Go Eun and Woo Do Hwan!