sulkytofu

Yep! I really watched this for Timmy Xu, and it's a real shame because the drama itself is gorgeous - I love the pastel colour palette, all the sets are super high quality, and Bridgette and Timmy look great together. However, the chemistry is just really not there and not enough to pull me through into watching this. It's a shame because I really looked forward to this, but the execution just didn't turn out all that great. You know it's time to drop when you're even fast forwarding through the scenes with the main couple together...

Does anyone else have the feeling that Mengyan has a lot more chemistry with the second lead Qiao Keming? They are so cute together and I always look forward to their scenes, while as much as I love Jiang Chao as Lin Mo Bai I just keep skipping all of the scenes with Mo Bai and Mengyan.

I just saw it!!!! The inside joke is that Yu Zheng (the producer of AMA and the owner of the company Xu Kai and Bai Lu belong to) is the biggest fan of the Kailu ship haha. I'm really curious to know if it will be a Dae Jang Geum/Jewel in the Palace remake, or if it's just loosely based on the story and has some similar aspects. I'm surprised netizens are not as happy because I feel like international watchers are super excited - I love their chemistry and really can't wait for the drama to air!

I think that's how you can tell Mark Chao is just that good of an actor - despite being the same actor, he was able to play two different characters, and make you really feel deeply for both of them. Never had I loved both MLs so intensely, and also never have I seen two MLs who were so respectful of the FL and her feelings (there was no scheming between the two men, no fighting, etc. because both realized how important the other was to the FL). I didn't mind whoever Bai Qian got together with in the end because I think both relationships were very justified, but I do love how this created a really meaningful conflict, and really tied to the theme of "different lives in different worlds."

I absolutely love Yang Zi and think that she's a great cast choice, especially with her childhood acting background and also her versatility as an actress! As a big fan of Kris, I actually also don't know how to feel about him being a male lead...and am not sure if he's a strong actor (despite his success being a performer and musician.) Hoping that this turns out to be great!

As somebody who really loves fluff and romance, and really has a hard time watching angst and tragedy, would anyone recommend this? I know and have prepared myself for how this is tragic, and I've heard lots of good things, but my romcom heart is wary about getting into this one!

Great for the chemistry, styling, and for the first half (tons of chemistry, the drama is fast-paced, and you get really addicted b/c it kind of has a "mystery" to it in that you want to know what happened to all of the character's friendships and why they distanced from each other). Then the plot takes a complete downturn with unnecessary contrived issues, efforts to create tragedy for tragedy's sake, and generally the overall outcome and ending is so unsatisfying even it is "happy" because of those events.

Some early/initial thoughts while currently on Ep 12 - the drama is really well produced, has a great cast, and I love how it's a light fluffy romcom but I'm finding myself skipping a lot (almost half of the entire episode). I feel as if Timmy + Bridgette have something lacking in their chemistry, as in I do like the characters separately but just not together/am not yet convinced of their pairing. Also, as a big fan of UNIQ and Yixuan, it's hard to say this but I'm really not feeling his acting either because I feel like his character doesn't have much presence. I'm going to keep giving it a go, but I guess my expectations for this to be very fluffy and sparkling with chemistry aren't really quite what I'm experiencing while watching.

Honestly speaking.... I'd say that from a romantic comedy standpoint, the first half is much stronger and fluffier. The cast's chemistry is great, and the daily life at the academy is much lighter and warmhearted in tone. You're kind of moving towards the point (I'd say around Episode 28) where we get into a lot more of the politics and the plot-heavy side of the drama, with the last ten episodes being filled with angst. It depends what you're interested in, but if you're looking to see more romance, I'd probably warn you to be prepared that the second half really won't provide that for you.

It's so disappointing! The drama is beautifully shot, has impeccable styling and a wonderful colour palette, and it started off so strong before devolving into a complete mess with lots of unnecessary drama. Had they shortened this series to 20 episodes, and really stuck to our main leads and couples, I think it would been much better executed. A shame that there's a "tragedy" tag here, because it's not only the trainwreck that the second half becomes which is tragic, but also the amount of lost potential with such a great leading cast.

Are you serious? I dropped it around episode 24 after realizing that there was a tragedy tag, and even mentioned that I really hope it doesn't end up like Across the Ocean to See You (another Chinese drama with three different couples) where a strong start and great leads end up being completely muddled over by bad plot and unnecessary tragedy. This really sucks and I'm glad that I dropped it before I got too invested! Ding An is one of my favourite characters and I can't believe that happened.

Totally agree - if there's one missed opportunity, it's that during all the scenes when Gu Yanzheng was visiting Xie Xiang's family home, I really think that a kiss scene would have been acceptable. Funnily enough, the forehead kiss was at the academy, haha....

I've actually written a review on Lucky's First Love which you might want to check out! It's a very down-to-earth, sweet, fluffy office romance. I'm not going to lie - it's not my absolute favourite and I liked The Eternal Love and AMA more than it, because I didn't think the chemistry between Bai Lu + Xing Zhao Lin was as crackly compared to their respective pairings in their previous dramas. But I think it's still worth a watch if you want something light and angst-free, and the drama has some really good kiss scenes!

Yep! I agree! A lot of people said the same thing about the drama The Untamed - sometimes not having explicit PDA makes you really see how the relationship is even stronger. I think Xu Kai and Bai Lu did a great job conveying so much chemistry and sparks even with the restrictions on the drama, and I'm glad to see that you too enjoyed all of the cute, fluffy, and romantic scenes within the shows.

As an aside, I think the kiss scenes were deleted because they didn't want the military to seem like a place where people don't take their work seriously/engage in romantic encounters instead of focusing on their mission (which is still ironic and doesn't really make things better, but at least provides some kind of rationale for it.) I know some people have found some kiss scenes online from the BTS clips -I'm pretty sure there is one where Gu Yanzheng kisses Xie Xiang's forehead.

I do think that it's interesting they never really show how Xia Ke and Xing Yun really fell in love, but instead implied it through really sparse flashbacks and kind of "throw" the viewer into their relationship. I can definitely see and understand if you didn't feel the chemistry, or if you find that the romance isn't for you. I'm sure your comments will be really helpful for other people who might be interested in watching this, but may want to know how to situate their expectations first before starting the drama.

I wish we spent more time with He Yu's romantic love line so that I could believe that he had his longtime friend had fallen for each other - instead of all the scenes spent with He Yu actively pursuing Xing Yun. This is kind of the same problem I had with Chu Nan - I think I would like the side characters a lot more if they just stayed within their own relationships instead of trying to interfere between Xia Ke and Xing Yun.

It was because Bai Lu filmed this right after/around the same time as Arsenal Military Academy, where she actually cut her hair very short for her role (which definitely shows her dedication to acting!) I agree though, some of the fashion/style choices weren't that great - she is so pretty and I feel that the wig really didn't do her justice. The hairstyle also got a lot of negative comments from Chinese netizens too I think.

I found the two dramas to be pretty different and actually never associated them with one another until after seeing these comments! The feel of this one is a lot more slice-of-life, and I feel they really only have similarities with some of the "cutesy" sound effects, the office setting, and the fact that it takes place in a gaming company. All that aside, the storyline and the dynamic/characterizations to me have a lot of differences.

I will admit I was surprised at first that XZL's voice is more high-toned, but I think that it really adds to his charm. Maybe that was why they dubbed it before. I genuinely also think BL's voice is so charismatic and because it's different it's part of her appeal! I also agree that she has a wonderful laugh, and I love her playful personality too.

I honestly am not really sure why anyone thought it would be a good idea to introduce Chu Nan in that way. It not only reflects negatively on his character, but also makes me a lot less sympathetic for him in the scenes he has with Xia Ke's sister.

Is XZL's voice dubbed? I watched some interviews he did and I think the voice sounded the same but I'm not really sure. I really love Bai Lu's husky, deeper tone though, and am really glad they kept her voice in.