So. This really made me think.
Im writing this review way past midnight and I have so much to say.
I will begin not necessary traditionally with the ending.
Let's just say the last episode was chaos. Upsetting, happy, sad, unsure, desperate.
I have to right here give a big compliment to the actor of Yu hai who did an amazing job with this complicated and layered role.


I think looking back the ending makes light of all that happened before.
It seems not quite fitting for a school drama or not "standard" to have such a very mature and quite dark moment in the last episode.
It's almost a whole genre turn.
But now that I think of it you could almost watch the ending first.
Because after all the episodes I think the end makes more sense.
The very emotional acting the very dark streak you don't expect in a typical highschool MLs life and the very raw way of delivering the struggle of not achieving your dreams and losing your former confidence and happiness.
After watching the end you will appreciate the earlier events more and more and the youthful days will shine more brightly.
Geng geng makes light of this in the very first episode without me even understanding it until the very end.


"When I recalled my highschool life after many years, I've always remembered that night when we were holding hands and running under the moonlight.
The "him" back then was the most "perfect him."
But the me after many, many years is the best me.
Between the best of us, there was a whole youthful years.
No matter how we ran we couldn't see a result
(We couldn't keep up no matter how hard we tried.)


I myself interpreted it as the happy never seemingly ending days of highschool seemingly chasing an end that does not come closer between the happiest of our friends.
Yu hai being someone Geng geng was close friends with and even admired him shining so brightly back then but her not seemingly not good (smart) enough but only catching up after a long time and missing him.


As you may or may not have guessed by now this is going to be long because there is much to be said.


Let's dive into characters.
First the character which occupied my mind the most. Yu huai:
Yu huai differs from the usual smart Highschool protagonist in the sense that he "isn't" perfect.
He does not have the aloof and distanced air about him. His smartness does have boundaries and he is actually quite social and also has a temper.
I was actually very impressed because they all seemed more like typical teenager's then "characters".
Yu huai is ambitious and studious but also very playful and naughty or "playful".
He likes physics and you can see how much pride and effort he takes in that subject. But he also helps Geng geng out plays basketball, and throws a fit occasionally.
As the series progresses you do see his difficult relationship with his mother (no further spoilers) and his bad relationship with pressure.
He does very much see his limits but is so very focused on his goal that sometimes things can slip out of place.




Geng geng is the very extroverted bubbly girl next door that isn't the smartest but successfully slips past all the stereotypes that come with ditsy stupid fmls.
She doesn't have a hard time making friends and is in a sense what glues the whole oack together. She is the one friend that definitely is not the loudest but you would immediately notice if she's missing.
She has an avid love for photography and plays the photographer on multiple occasions making the littlest moments a picture to remember.


Liu xinghue is the artsy kid. Naughty in the beginning very don't care attitude.
He gets preferential treatment because of his rich parent but he is in no way snobbish.
He us talented in drawing and has a almost rebellious love for freedom and a hate for the school system. He does poetry flirts uncontrollably and almost cheesily but non in the less creatively with Geng geng that you almost have to afmire his devoted demeanor.


For a second lead I do have to say he had not enough screentime. I read alot about people having secondlead syndrome but surprisingly I didn't care about him half as much as Yu huai. His acting wasn't bad at all but also he definitely lost in portraying the character so vividly compared to the Ml.
He did make kind of annoyed towards the end. Running after Geng geng meanwhile him getting hurt or taking the hits.
Some may find that very admirable but I don't.
Know when to let go and free yourself. Value yourself and the other person and start anew.
Well that is not as easy as it sounds and definitely wouldn't make the poor 2ndml trope complete wouldn't it? *Wink wink.


So for the support Im not.going to pick every single person but just the 4 closest friends.


Zhou mo. Yu huais close friend since middle school and also a very smart but definitely ladylover student. He is also quite naughty but definitely a good friend with a big heart. He did make me appreciate him more as the series went on.


Liu qi heng. Also called fatty by most of the class. *Rolls eyes yeah they make fun of his weight but more in a loving way than a mean one.
He's also the class representative of class 5 and reminds me of a devoted dachshund for some reason? Maybe it's his smile.
He does fade out more and more towards the end of the series.
He's a "good" class leader but definitely doesn't always follow rules and always tries to protect Beta even though he gets rudely rejected all of the series.




Jian Dan the girly girl the one always having the same crush quite mild tempered and sensitive.
Honestly more I can't really say about her besides the fact that she really got hung up on her love.


Beta. Honestly I do have to say the actress did a great job but also annoyed the heck out of me XD.
I think that's who beta is almost. Good natured but way to loud and high energy plus very quick tempered and overly emotional.
She was the mood maker and breaker. The clown and the drama queen.




Han xu: So why ? How did it come to be that one of the more foreground supports became almost invisible?
I swear I can count the amount of lines he had on one hand.
He was almost completely silent most of the series and it was IMPOSSIBLE to get a deeper look into his character.
There is a difference between quiet and reserved and straight up easter island statue.
You only get one episode with a more deeper look into his character and life and that's it.
So from what I could see: " Quiet and reserved top student very socially distant? But almost always there for group activities. Ignores Jian Dan most of the time wich makes ger seem like some weird sidekick?




So that's it for characters. I hope that's a deeper inlook if you even read till here.
Special mention for Zhang Ping the class teacher and the only drama teacher I know who chugs his olive water daily. *Cheers!




What I think this drama gives you is not necessary the greatest romance of the century but a deeper look into a seemingly normal highschool life wich looking back makes every little moment more meaningful and filled with fond memories.
Even Geng geng or Fml doesn't know many of them all these years later and also people change and live through things. But this doesn't mean the memories lose in value it makes them almost even more precious. Having this little box of happiness from your youth wich is a little treasure on it's own.


Of course this drama isn't perfect and it wouldn't be me if I wasn't critical. The drama begins very well and creatively. Around the middle I would say things start to get a little muddled. We do get some plot holes/ unanswered questions. 2 minor characters just "appear" without really immerging before?
It does get unclearer and harder to understand towards the end and aome things do feel very unfinished especially with the friends.
The ending is of course for many not satisfactory wich you probaly read already.
I still cannot make my mind up about it.
I do prefer a more happy ever after 90s soap opera ending lol.
But it definitely gibes you to think about and it isn't necessarily bad or anything. Just a more mature darker tone gets set wich does last a bit after finishing the drama and makes you ponder, even a little anxious? In my case at least.

I hope I didn't sound like I was writing a thesis or anything and at least somebody stayed until the end.
Thanks for reading this very lengthy review!