Reviews

A Xianxia filled with love, friendship, disaster, and most importantly, comedy.

If you, like me, did not have your eye on this drama but decided to watch it on a whim, you will be pleasantly surprised by The Starry Love. And understandably so, because the past few years of Xianxias have exposed us to the ‘overuse’ of familiar Xianxia tropes. Fortunately, director Chu Yuibun (朱锐斌) seems to have realized this and decided to add a unique comedic spice to The Starry Love that significantly differentiates this drama from the rest of the modern Xianxia genre. Overall, The Starry Drama is a story of the love between two main couples as well as their adventures with friends, and what it means for the world to love or hate you.

The Starry Love (星落凝成糖) is adapted from the Xianxia novel of the same name by Yi Du Jun Hua (一度君华), and is the last installment of the Honey Trilogy, three romance dramas directed by Chu Yuibun. Therefore, you might notice the vast similarities between color selection, setting appearance, and costume design between The Starry Love and Ashes of Love. The Starry Love also has several actors that also played major roles in Skate Into Love, and its catchy OSTs are once again sung by the talented Sa Dingding and Mao Buyi, as well as Liu Yuning and Shuang Sheng. Here's another thing that may motivate you to watch The Starry Love: the leads voice their own characters, with the exception of Chao Feng. (no need to be worried about the high FL voice this round!)

Once again, the story is established with many of the usual Xianxia tropes. The world is composed of Four Realms, the Immortal, Demon, Mortal, and Beast. However, the Mortal Realm is fully aware of the other realms and works with the other leaders to maintain world peace. The Immortal Realm is again the ‘good’ realm, the Demon Realm is the ‘bad’, the Mortal is the ‘weak’, and the Beast is basically the ‘extra’. The main female leads, Ye Tan and Qing Kui are twins with a sealed fate, which they don’t learn about until later in their lives. Qing Kui is the hailed princess, the girl living everyone else’s dream. She is the destined Heavenly Consort, the future wife of Heavenly Deity Shao Dian You Qin. On the other hand, younger sister Ye Tan is not as fortunate. She was deemed a ‘bad luck star’ from birth, never having experienced the warmth and love from her father and servants. Destined to marry the future king of the Demon Realm, she vows to be a powerful evil being to defeat those who have always down on her. However, the sisters’ wedding carriages are swapped, and they end up in the wrong realms.

As you can see, we’re presented with a pretty unoriginal premise, so what makes this drama so interesting and keeps us on our toes? Well, to say this in the simplest way possible, it’s the way comedic scenes are inserted into the drama at the most surprising of times that makes The Starry Love such a fresh breath of air. One minute, you might be sad or even crying because of a certain scene, and a few seconds later, you are laughing so hard you might even be clenching your stomach. I personally really enjoy this unique addition, as I’ve certainly never seen this before in Xianxias and loved the comedic aspect.

The Starry Love is 40 episodes long, as with many of the new dramas after the maximum 40 episode rule. (in which some dramas divided the series in two parts to bypass this new Chinese law) The drama is well-paced, without many, or perhaps even any, filler scenes, unlike a few of the long dramas. I really enjoyed how there was understandable time spent on each You Qin arc, and how each couple was given enough time per episode to bond and give us the sugar we deserve.

Onto the acting. The acting here was PHENOMENAL, especially when it comes to Chen Xingxu. This man here had to act five totally different personalities. In the usual Xianxias we may get one or two reincarnations, but Shao Dian You Qin here went on a total personality-changing spree. From the cold You Qin, he was also the cute and heartwarming La Mu, greedy but caring Mei You Qing, elegant womanizer Wen Ren, and of course, the You Qin at the end, all of his previous personalities melded into one. Chen Xingxu pulled off his roles perfectly, effectively showing the great contrasts between each personality and making them seem like totally different people. (fun fact: (Mei You Qin) 没有情 means Emotionless)

As I was watching a drama with Li Landi for the first time, I loved her acting and her role as Li Guang Ye Tan. The changes her character experienced were phenomenal, and Landi displayed this through her acting, especially in the eyes. Not only is The Starry Love about the strong love between lovers, but between friends and family as well. Ye Tan and Qing Kui’s sisterly love is a strong relationship that not many others can compete with. The contrast between the two sisters’ personalities was also a sweet treat. Although Qing Kui always received the love that Ye Tan never had in her first 18 years, Ye Tan never blamed her older sister for it. Instead, they were always worrying about the other. While Ye Tan is a girl afraid of nothing, Qing Kui’s pure kindness guided her younger sister to the path of happiness.

The chemistry between both couples was just right. You will be gushing for not one, but two extremely compatible couples. As I was rooting for the Heavenly Couple, I was also squealing for the love story that was blossoming in the Demon Realm. As they say, you’ll always find each other if you’re destined to be together. It’s amazing how each of the characters influenced others to change and become better versions of themselves.

Of course, a Xianxia drama would not be complete without both loveable and hateable characters. Ye Tan, who had never received much care and love in her life, felt so fortunate to have become friends with not only Man Man and Di Lan Jue, but with Qing Heng, Zi Wu, the three senior immortals, and even with her future brother-in-law, Chao Feng. It was so heartwarming to see everyone warm up to this princess, who had always longed for a happy life. On the other hand, we have the power-hungry Immortal and Demon Emperors who put their own power before their family’s happiness. The Heavenly Empress demonstrated her true love for her children before any noble title or riches, while the Demon Empress’s power-hungry eyes not only showed her pure-evil heart but her universal love for her only son. The side couples were all very cute and fun to watch.

Production-wise, The Starry Love did a phenomenal job. The special effects for magical spells in all realms complimented their respective backgrounds and were all natural to the look. Like previous Xianxias, the Immortal Realm is given an almost-whitewashed look, while the Demon Realm is a land of darkness. However, the fireworks and magical trees were gorgeous to look at, to name a few magical elements of the drama.

Like Ashes of Love, the OST for The Starry Love includes songs sung by Mao Buyi and Sa Dingding, as well as Liu Yuning and Shuang Sheng, and were epic as always. Sa Dingding once again awes us with her amazingly high vocals managed with immaculate precision, while Mao Buyi and Liu Yuning sing with longing emotion. Shuang Sheng once again displays her lovely voice with a sweet tone. The soundtrack is as follows:

[Theme Song] “The Starry Love” (星落凝成糖) - Sa Dingding
[Opening Song] “Speak with You” (与子成说) - Liu Yuning
[Ending Song] “Flawless World” (天地无瑕) - Mao Buyi (with another version sung by Sa Dingding)
[Additional Song] “Twin Flowers” (双花儿) - Shuang Sheng

If The Starry Love is not THE Xianxia drama 2023, it is one of the best. Although it includes many Xianxia elements used in previous Xianxia dramas, the comedic aspect of this series differentiates it from the rest of the group and will certainly brighten up your day. The emphasis on strong sisterly love is also something that is not to be missed. (there’s eye candy too!)

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WATCH IT

This is the 2nd mystery types of BL drama I liked so much ( Of course first is Triage ) . Honestly this series is so good . I am so happy that I have found this masterpiece . I am not going to spoil anything . My review is simple .

Acting - Top tier .
Story - Excellent .
Cinematography - Outstanding .
Music - The intro music is so good .
Visuals - Eye candy

Just watch it , no regrets . Aside from the mystery and story , the chemistry between the two male leads is fire . The tension is tensioning . You will know how good this drama is after watching just an episode .

Edit - Last 15 minutes of ep 8 , dear this is one of the best acting performance I have ever watched in my life , Hands Down .

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I can definitely start of by saying that this has been my favourite drama out of all the romance ones that I have watched so far because for me everything was great. This is my first review that I have ever written so far and I really wanted to share what I thought about angels last mission because of all the mixed reviews it’s been getting. From the moment I started it I loved the relationship that Kim Dan and Lee Yeon Seo had because even thought it seemed to be a hate to love relationship I felt that they had always had a strong loving relationship from the very beginning.
Next I cannot express enough how much I loved the music for this drama as I felt it matched perfectly with it and find myself tearing up everytime I hear the song pray whenever a dramatic moment happens.
As for the acting of the two main roles I would say that Shin Hye Sun did an exceptional job at portraying her character and everytime in her dances whenever she would want to express her emotions. As for L I know some mentioned that they disliked his acting but as for me I though he was perfect for the role of a fun-loving and kindhearted angel and together they made a perfect couple with an unbreakable bond.
I’m not sure how others thought the ending was for them but as for me I am definitely not dissatisfied with the way that it ended as I liked them a lot together but I would of liked to see them be a classic tragic love story that makes you feel emotionally sad but warms your heart when you think of how tough their love was.

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Last Episode was a Bomb!

Until the very last few minutes of the final episode, I would have given this Kdrama a 9.5 rating. The ending, although not sad, was lack luster and NOT worthy of all the previous wonderful moments. So, so sad! Why, why, Writers, didn't you have a better, romantic, full-of-love, live-happily-ever-after ending for the two main characters? You gave all the other characters complete happy endings.......in fact, there was too much focus on the auxiliary cast vs the main characters............Again, so, so sad! P.S. The astroturf in front of the Monthly Magazine Home building was really sad....shame on the set designers.

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I love melos and haven't seen one that really got my attention in a while

A romantic melodrama that depicts the story of a man and a woman who, exhausted from their harsh reality, begin to understand each other with new emotions and find themselves gradually changing.

The FL and her prickly attitude. I AM LOVING OUR CHAOTIC FEMALE LEAD.

First thing I really want to mention is how much I really like the entire Shim family. The siblings are adorable and the mother is a pretty nice person, now that we finally get a chance to know her. They are good people. It makes you even sadder that their father, who seemed to have a good relationship with them before, cheated on his wife and abandoned his family.

She really was dealt by life with so many shitty cards due to her father’s infidelity, and I think because of the trauma and environment she was raised in she was never able to fully express her opinion or be open about anything. She can speak about what’s on her mind about other things and people. But you can see her and her siblings struggle with being open and honest with each other - they instead choose to pretend to not notice things. So I can see why this is difficult for her.

The chemistry is WOW - Lee Sung Kyung and Kim Young Kwang both are incredibly expressive with micro expressions. The director and writers and actors are all incredible.

My heart broke for all of the characters. The oldest sister consumed by anxiety and the pressure of being the oldest, who feels like she failed her siblings by being weak minded. The mother who was ill later on but before that, disappeared when her kids needed her the most, consumed by the pain and anxiety of her husband’s betrayal. The FL who felt like the world was on her shoulders and that happiness never would be hers again. The brother who feels guilty for how immature he has been, but really doesn’t see that in normal circumstances it would be okay at his age to chase his dreams.

And then we have ML, I feel so bad for him because aside from the man who was his stepfather and took him camping, he has been so incredibly lonely. You really finally hear from him how badly his mother treated him, leaving him alone for days as a child while she pursued a married man. She failed him in so many ways, neglected and abused him, and never apologized for it. In fact, she continued to torture him and destroyed his personal relationships. His life revolved around the destructive hurricane that was his mother. When he said he never even called her mother then, I had tears in my eyes.

For a show about revenge, there’s just so much love. Romantic love, love between a parent and her three children, love between siblings, love between life long friends, love between co-workers.
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Let's conclude here :) hope you are convinced by my views and already started watching this 😂❤️

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Novel transmigration with cute romance and reverse gender roles

Don’t let the negative comments about the ending stop you from watching this! I really loved everything about this drama except the censored ending. But thankfully we have the secret clip from douyin that wraps up the story (link below).

This drama is about the female lead who is transported from the modern world to a historical novel. In the novel, the Peacock City is run by women and women have the same rights as men. The female lead drops from the sky and is appointed as the Peacock Holy Envoy. The male lead is the Minister of Rites who seemingly befriends her but has secret schemes.

POSITIVE:
- Bad boy with a good heart male lead.
- Cute romance and kiss scenes.
- Great chemistry between the leads.
- Frenemies to lovers trope (push and pull dynamic).
- Mix of political intrigue, investigations and revenge.
- Reverse gender roles.
- Smart and quirky female lead who uses her science knowledge to bypass the plot.
- Mostly light-hearted with great comedy moments + a bit of angst towards the end.
- Similar vibes (not plot) to The Romance of Tiger and Rose.
- Prophetic dreams (I loved that bit).

NEGATIVE:
- Censored ending. However there is a secret clip on douyin that wraps up the story. So the drama is still worth watching. Scroll below for spoilers and link.
- Some small parts lack logic but it’s part of the charm and comedy for me.
- Female lead is a bit of a baby sometimes (not a lot).

OVERALL:
If you want a light-hearted transmigration story with reverse gender roles and cute romance, watch this drama.
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It’s a shame that this got zero promotion. I’m going to guess and say it’s because the male lead had issues with the government and had to leave the industry. So they not only censored the drama by giving us an odd ending but also cut it to appear as a short drama (perhaps short dramas pass easier?). I’m pretty sure this was originally done as a typical full length drama (each episode is 20 minutes, that’s around 20 full episodes if it’s 40 minutes each).

SECRET CLIP:
1. Douyin (provided by @Suzette Ser):
https://www.douyin.com/user/MS4wLjABAAAA8Gft2z08CjrLcEI3BGbNk6CLkePD5pUTxQbD0haYQBF7uU0hiAy4KW651lRC_yAL?modal_id=7360304476701396239
2. Twitter:
https://x.com/Fatum____Tempus/status/1782076978369061012

BONUS: BTS of the modern world scenes
https://x.com/Fatum____Tempus/status/1786669698790367614

ENDING SPOILER:
In the finale episode, the female lead dies and is transported back to the modern world. She reads the novel, the story is now changed and doesn’t include her (which we see that play out on screen). There are ambiguous details to suggest the male lead is aware of the book change. END of drama. NOW, thanks to the secret clip uploaded on douyin, we can see the male lead (sports jacket) is reading the same novel in the modern world. The female lead calls his name and he turns around to face her. So they end up meeting each other in the modern world too.

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An Anti-Romance in the Best Possible Way

The Red Sleeve does something I never thought I’d see in a K-drama - it dares to suggest that love may not conquer all. Most “romantic” sageuks start with the premise that every commoner or court lady dreams of being swept off her feet by a handsome prince, but few look closely at the power dynamics of such relationships, especially in the Joseon era where the patriarchy was so rigid that even the most powerful woman in the kingdom, the Queen Dowager, was essentially under house arrest. To its credit, The Red Sleeve centers this fundamental inequality, suggesting that consenting relationships are impossible if one person is the master and the other, functionally, a slave. It’s also smart enough to feature one of Joseon’s “best” kings as its male lead, emphasizing that the issue is systemic, not individual, and that no ruler, no matter how just, upright and swoony can be an ideal partner as long as they view their love interest as a possession. And when a woman must obey, the line between rape and mutual affection quickly blurs, even if the man is doing it “for her own good.” The discomfort the show induces is magnified by the fact that it includes no easy villains. Everyone has an agenda, but everyone is also trying to do their best in a world where protocol and order take precedence over human feeling. But when human feelings must be excised in the name of duty, the drama reminds us that it’s often women who take the fall. It asks us to reconsider whose lives matter, and argues that agency, even the agency to choose heartbreak, may be preferable to even the dreamiest of suitors.

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A new kind of Cantabile!

If you are expecting that it factor from the original Nodame Cantabile (japanese drama) or the craziness that was Tomorrow’s Cantabile (korean version), this isn’t it. This drama is not a remake but an adaptation. There are elements from the original story that are waaaay tone down and this makes Symphony’s Romance break away, distinguish itself, and become a drama on its own but still be that familiar tale you know so well. As a result I could enjoy the drama without constantly comparing it to the other versions.

The relationship between Xiao Wo and Zhen Yan develops naturally, from a mutual admiration of the talent each holds to a professional and personal partnership among equals. This makes the romance feel more grounded and mature. A welcome change since it makes leading man more affectionate and open to the leading lady’s proactive and flirty ways and, in return, he becomes the person she can rely on when her genius overwhelms her. They support each other’s dreams and ambitions, based on the knowledge not only of themselves as individuals but as a couple. They keep choosing each other through hardships and insecurities. Xiao Wo and Zhen Yan work out things together like the dream team they choose to be.

The same can be said about the secondary characters. For once we see what happens when some of them make it in the world of classical music and others don’t. What happens among friends, lovers and rivals, whom so far have been following the same path, when they go out into the stage of the world. Do they follow their vocation? Was music just daydreaming? Do they decide to follow society’s expectations of what kind of job they should have?

I appreciate this more realistic take on the story. It’s not a youth drama, it’s a drama about young adults trying to find their place in the world and that’s definitely Symphony’s Romance strongest point.

The only weak point, for me, it’s the musical performances. In a drama about musicians and the need to stand on the stage as the best version of yourself, the performances were lacking for my taste. I am not sure if it was the music selection or the editing but, at times, it felt like there was no emotion behind the music that was playing. It should have been since it was supposed to be the culmination of trials the characters had gone through. In very few performances I can truly say that it felt like these passionate musicians left everything on the stage. However, this does not take away from the drama or the character development.

Overall, I had a really great time with this drama and enjoyed every episode. I have no complains about this drama, it gave me exactly what I wanted and needed from it. Symphony’s Romance is the perfect drama to relax and enjoy as the story evolves and its characters grow. With a super cute romance on top. I recommend it!

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WELL WRITTEN ,WELL DIRECTED, WELL ACTED

I can never miss a drama that has Liu Yunning in it. If diligence of an actor had a face it would be him. (Especially for all the hate that he gets for his looks) I just find him stunning from every angle tbh. He has grown so much as an actor since the first time I saw him in long ballad. Shi shi who is FL in here has also done really very well though she is already a big name in this industry but for me this is her best performance so far. Not just the two main leads but every single actor in this drama has surpassed their previous performances.
Moving on to the story...man this is by far the best written original story of this year. Every single scene makes sense, no nonsense. Everything just holds onto the main plot without putting fillers to make audiance have a humorous break in between which is so common in Cdramas. It is good sometimes but it disconnect viewers from the main plot. But this drama really knows how to keep audiance connected without putting filler episodes. I never skipped any scene. Big applause to the writer who made such layered characters as well.
The most important thing...THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A STRONG FEMALE CHARACTER and not just FL but other characters as well especially the one who plays princess. My god! So good! Her character development, her evolution from weak to strong willed girl is something one should not miss at all. People should really write female characters like that instead of making them some bold girl but damsel in distress the moment ML arrives. These girls are CLEVER and SMOOTH in their actions. No dumb actions at all.
Story, acting, direction, song and production everything is amazing. The cinematography kind of reminds me of old shows especially in fight scenes but I don't know it is kind of nostalgic for me. Apart from some fight sequences which are sometimes little slow and with too many cuts, rest was really good. It is not perfect but that is what makes it real. Especially the dialogues. They pinpoint all those things that we viewers always think like " wait a minute why didn't they notice it?"
Like girl pretending to be a boy. They pointed out the Adam's apple part. There are so many scenes that really questions everything that we sometimes forgive them for.
To conclude it all I would highly recommend this show. You won't regret it for sure.

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Highly recommended adaptation of essays with ethnic scope

I loved watching this miniseries, that features some well known actors and actresses (Ma Yili, Zhou Yiran, Yu Shi) together with a cast that skillfully portrays the balance between ethnic minorities in the remote northwestern corner of Xinjiang where vanishing lifestyle competes with the hopes and toils of younger generations.

Rather than repeating myself, I will just refer to my Notes about the miniseries, that illustrate many of the thoughts that can be triggered by watching the series. The story can be watched with no prior knowledge, but raises questions that push to dig deeper. There are many nice touches and details, and the director herself did state that although humorous elements were added to the play, they were kept within a moderate range to prompt the audience to reflect. The balance is kept to avoid too much heaviness, and the pace is brisk, while the cinematography enhances the loveliness of nature, despite its sometimes harshness. Horse lovers will be drawn in by the horse raising culture of the herders, who also use camels, and breed fat sheep that can be milked and used to make medicinal soap! The togetherness and mutual support even by those who have a beef to chew against people who shoot their mouth too quickly, and offend them, introduces hope in human relations. Of course they are shielded by the remoteness, but Hotan jade is known, so poachers do come to threaten the peace.

The miniseries grows on the audience, while details raise questions. Love, pain, discoveries and healing are there. The impressive Douban rating of 8.5 (then, now risen to 9.4!) is totally justified.

More in my Notes : https://kisskh.at/discussions/my-aletai/125351-to-the-wonder-notes-about-the-slice-of-life-tv-series

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Romantic and Inspirational

Story:

It's nothing new, but it's told in a way that feels so fresh! It deals with the relatable struggles of work life, going with the flow vs. challenging yourself and following your dreams. It seems obvious, but it's actually really hard to take the first step into living a life for yourself instead of living it to fulfill other's expectations.

At the starting point, Umi is overworked and unhappy and doesn't like the person she's become. After meeting Kazao by chance, she begins to want to change herself, and she starts a journey into becoming a person she loves, growing up in the process. There's actually real growth for all characters involved. The story and the dialogues are so well written that the drama progresses very naturally. And, even though the theme may be serious, it has a lot of funny and warm moments.

A few of the most memorable scenes for me were the reccurent after work ramen, gyoza and beer scenes, that created an intimate environment where the main characters were allowed to unwind - these scenes were truly precious and cathartic (and the ramen shop owner was sublime even with almost zero lines haha).

Side note: Don't be fooled by the drama poster into thinking this is another superficial and silly sexyromcom, this is a drama about adults being adults, it has a meaningful message and is filled with the nutritious kind of sweetness. The poster is actually the only thing I didn't like about the drama, because it doesn't fit at all.

Acting/Cast:

This is my first time seeing Suzuki Airi and Honda Kyoya and I loved them as Umi and Kazao, they really became their characters. Suzuki Airi's range was particularly impressive, acing the comedy and making us feel the pain along with her. Honda Kyoya is incredibly charming in a nonchalant way and made me fall head over heels in love with Kazao, breaking all ML stereotypes out there.

I also need to mention Shirasu Jin and Izuka Kenta and their entertaining and heartwarming bromance, as Keisuke and Satoru. I hadn't seen them in this kind of role before and they delivered. Kudos to them.

Music:

There is silence when there needs to be, and there's also music beautifully woven into the scenes, making them even more impactful and emotional. It's really done right.

I have "Gloomy Day" by Lozareena playing on a loop for weeks, now. It's a really great song, and it really fits with the drama.

"Just face forward, run, run until I can run
That's what I thought I should do
I kept fooling myself and losing my confidence
Even though I'm the hero of my own story
I got my mind made up
Run, run and run"

Rewatch Value:

I've already rewatched it, so... ^^
Definitely a drama to (re)watch when you're losing confidence in yourself, when you're feeling hopeless or when you just want to watch the sweetest romance. It will lift your spirits, give you courage and warm your heart.

Overall:
10/10 for me.

On a very personal note, this drama came just at the right time! I finally mustered up the courage to leave my job of 11 years... Oof. On the morning I finally made the decision, I was walking to work screaming inside my head the lyrics to "Gloomy Day" ("HASHIRE HASHIRE HASHIRE!").

I don't know what the future holds, but you only live once, and only you have the power to try to change yourself and chase after your dreams. Ganbatte!

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I was very hyped when I watched the first episode. and the second. and slowly I started to get bored.
They tried to make a new kind of drama, where women have power, where they cand dress how they want, put makeup, accessories and date whoever they want in whatever manner they desire. I really liked that. It had a F*ing strong start.
The first few episodes are my favs and I would rewatch those but not the full drama. Ok so onto what bothers me:

The love story: Starts in a refreshing way for a kdrama, I mean, it s not the usual korean drama couple. But as you go into the story, her not wanting to get married, him wanting to, the endless and pointless drama between them bored me very much. The ending was as boring as their couple story. I must say that his acting and way of being (the resting bitch face and voice and everything) was more suited for Kill It (where I really liked him) or the other drama with the serial killer (come and hug me- I think). Not here.

What kept me going? SCARLETT. GODDAM Scarlett was everything, I swear. She ended up being the only one I cared about, her style, personality, everything.
***IMPORTANT: if this was a drama focused on Cha Hyun(scarlett) I would have given it a 10 (so you can watch it based on this little detail)

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is love better the second time around?

Overall: there was amazing tension but I needed more character growth and less love rivals. 6 episodes at 25 minutes each. Aired on GagaOOLala. ; re-released on Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/40574c-love-is-better-the-second-time-around

Content Warnings: manipulation

What I Like
- tension/chemistry
- clear between what were flashbacks and the present
- end of episode 2 they explain what happened in the past and the time gap/why they each reacted how they did makes sense to me (unlike the majority of these types of plots)
- production value

Room For Improvement
- kind of an exposition dump in the first episode, but they didn't have much screen time so I understood why they did that
- too many love rivals (3) in just 6 episodes
- not enough character growth, I needed to see 1 character be real, everything had this fake veneer
- cliche plot point at the end of episode 5
- lack of consequences for some characters "gave me freedom" is NOT how I would describe what happened in high school

Thoughts on Grey Characters/Their Romantic Relationships
Sometimes these characters and their dynamic work for me and other times they don't. Here are the factors that I'm thinking about.
1. was there a realistic reason why the character/s acted the way they did in the past (yes)
2. were both characters grey or was one squeaky clean (they both had character flaws)
3. was there some kind of apology/amend making (kind of)
4. was there character growth (not really)
5. do I believe that the characters will stay together in a happy romantic relationship (maybe)

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Thoughts from an Asexual in her 20s

When most shows or movies advertise being about the teenage experience, you typically see a focus on things like first love, peer pressure, drugs, etc. And don't get me wrong, those things can definitely be a part of the teenage experience. But the topic that this drama decided to tackle is perhaps much more widely applicable. And needed. It's what sex education should be, told through the lives of realistic teenagers.

In it, there are discussions not just about sex the deed, but many things related to it (in no particular order): stigmas and pressure, sexuality, desire, terminology, self-gratification, history, STDs, harassment, birth control, periods, pregnancy, abortion, parenthood, parent-child relations, consent, feeling ready/prepared, and even where to find additional resources. It doesn't feel crowded. Nor does it feel like a scare tactic to encourage abstinence (like what was used in my own sex education). It was organic. And realistic. And grounded in real experiences I or those around me have encountered.

It was told through the lives of 3 female leads who all had to learn something or another about the above topics: a sexually-experienced and outspoken female lead, a shy and nervous female lead raised in a conservative household, and the sexually-indifferent to sexually-repulsed aroace female lead who often acts as the voice of reason for the other 2. And at the end of each episode, they come together at their favorite diner to discuss the lessons they learned and to encourage each other once again to keep learning all they can and to accept one another on their different journeys.

At first I wondered why a diner? It's so public. But I guess that was the point. It's effectively saying that this is a normal part of life. One that doesn't need to be discussed behind closed doors. Because when you leave these conversations for only private spaces, you run the risk of not having the conversations at all.

And I say aroace (aromantic asexual), despite the FL in question only being canonically labelled asexual, because she defines herself as not interested in romantic or sexual relations. It was actually my only major gripe with this story. I actually had to stop and put this on hold because the way she handled this label was incredibly irksome and disappointing to me. And I needed to give it some breathing room in order to see beyond this at all the good qualities of her representation.

Here's why it disappointed. There is a big movement in the asexual and aromantic communities to raise awareness about the differences between sexual and romantic attraction. Too often, the conflation of those terms is used to delegitimize us and our experiences. Too often, the conflation of these terms confuse those of us just trying to figure ourselves out. Too often, the conflation of these terms leads us to believing that asexuality/aromanticism are terms that almost fit, but don't. And using a phrase like "there are many ways to be asexual" does not erase the potential harm of ignoring why that movement of awareness exists. And it's even worse when the resources and adult figure informing the FL all describe the term in terms of sexual attraction - but the FL turns around and almost solely uses the term in reference to romantic attraction (instead of perhaps saying both). "It means I do not feel any desire for a romantic relationship." Like I said, it irked. A lot.

Perhaps this could be partially the fault of the subtitles though, because I do think i heard the term aromantic pop up in the spoken dialogue a few times. But as I do not speak the language, I may never know.

That being said, I related to the asexual FL a lot. Her perspective on the conversations her friends had and the pressures she overheard were a lot like mine. Her annoyances and break downs stung, because I have (and even continue to) feel them. She's comfortable with the label, and won't hesitate to support her allosexual friends and advocate for the spectrum of experiences. She's good rep, conflation of the asexual and aromantic terms aside. So it is a great start for asexual rep, and I look at this character with all sorts of fondness for existing.

But one other warning i will give though, is that this is NOT a show to binge. While it does overall have a happy and hopeful tone with great messages, it tackles a lot of heavy, sensitive, and/or uncomfortable topics and experiences. And I don't think it's just my fellow aces who will be itching to hit the exit button after too many episodes in a row. So for the sake of your ability to enjoy and appreciate the story, I highly recommend only watching a couple episodes at a time.

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