A Show That Can Melt Anyone's Heart

Story: It might not seem incredibly complex at first glance, but boy does it blow you away. The one sentence summary I can give is that a girl really likes a guy and is not afraid to show it, slowly winning his love in the process. One thing about a lot of dramas is that you might have one plot line that you care about and others fade to the background, but they use the 23 episodes perfectly, every story is important and beautifully told. First, of course, there's the story of Jiang Chen and Chen Xiaoxi. The slow unfolding of emotions and then the adult part where we see a switch of dynamics is fascinating to watch. Especially their own struggles with their future. Chen Xiaoxi's plot and struggle to get into school versus Jiang Chen's choice to go against his mother's choices and choose Chen Xiaoxi was just so beautiful to see. Accompanying that plot line is the equally beautiful plot line of Lu Yang gaining confidence and struggling with his heart disease as Li Jingxiao slowly falls for him is perfect. Finally, there's Wu Bosong's story and his struggle with loving Chen Xiaoxi and swimming. His plot with his father feels extremely relatable and it creates a weight to his choices that make his continued love for Chen Xiaoxi so much more valuable. I can also understand the comparisons to Itazura Na Kiss, but it is incredibly different in reality. The main difference is about emphasis. Itazura Na Kiss is a rom com about a young girl desperately trying to win a guys heart. It's surface level and stops at that, but A Love So Beautiful is not about a girl trying to win a guys heart, despite the description. It's about a girl and her 4 friends growing up and learning about themselves. The romance, although the most important part, is not all there is to it.

Character/Acting: This is where the show truly shines. This is not a plot driven show, despite how well it tells its story. It is entirely character driven. First, there's Shen Yue as Chen Xiaoxi. Chen Xiaoxi is wonderfully written protagonist. She's loyal, compassionate, bubbly, a little annoying at first, but boy does she win you over quickly. Her heart is massive and her love for the people around her is what makes her a fantastic character to watch. Shen Yue's acting is spot on in that she has an almost childlike quality that's perfect for Chen Xiaoxi. She feels like a little kid in love and you just really start to root for her to win and gain his heart. When she's sad, it also heartbreaking, but her best moments come from her relationship with others. Next, is Hu Yi Tian as Jiang Chen. Man, when I say I love this man I do. He is definitely my favorite Chinese actor ever. HE IS SO HOT. Literally, perfect looking. Pardon my forwardness. Although he's playing an inherently cold character, he still feels warm and I think that's what makes him so good. His mannerisms and moments of vulnerability contrasted with his lack of emotions makes him an awesome male lead. Plus, we love a sassy king. He always has the best one liners and definitely he had the best joke of the whole series which is the Abnormal Psychology joke. That scene with Wu Bosong where he breaks down at the end is some of the best acting I've seen in a drama. He just seems so lost and him pleading with her is both heartbreaking and beautiful to watch. I mean, I could just go on and on about Hu Yi Tian. He makes me love him in any role he plays. Like, literally any role. Next is Lu Yang. I think he is the most complex character out of all of them and the acting is just incredible. The moments where he pushes Li Jiangxiao away and those moments of tension really make this drama stand out. It's just so realistic and my heart continues to break because of them, only to be healed by their wedding. That boy was really playing the long game. As for Li Jiangxiao, man I have a crush on her. She's such a nice contrast to Chen Xiaoxi and fierce love towards her friends continues to win me over. I mean, man, how could you not love her. Finally, there's Wu Bosong. He is absolutely heartbreaking, but I have my own fan fiction for him, so it's alright. You want him to win, but at the same time, you don't. He is kind, thoughtful, and perfect in every way, but she doesn't love him and you can't change that. Haven't we all been there?

Music: Ohh. Although I don't love soundtrack music usually, I will say this is a perfect soundtrack. This soundtrack is sweet, innocent, and lovely without being annoying. The main theme is so infectious and lovely and the lyrics are perfect, starting with "I like your eyes, your eyelashes and your coldness" and continuing with "I like you accompanying me reading a book" It feels like it sums up their relationship perfectly. Also, Hu Yi Tian sings the ending credits song for this as well. Man, it's like he wants me to love him too much. It's not fair.

Rewatch Value: I could watch this drama over and over again and I have. It'll never feel stale no matter what because the moments are always so poignant and heart touching. I am currently rewatching with my father and I am finding more things I like about this show. He loves it as well by the way. It always surprises me just how detailed the writer of this was when crafting it. They clearly took a lot of care in it to tell the best possible story. This show is comfort food for the soul. It will always make me feel good on a sad day when all I want to do is cry. It's just a feeling I want to continue to replay over and over again like a sad song.

This show is something that literally everyone can love. It doesn't make one misstep and there's no plot that I get annoyed with. Even Li Wei isn't the most annoying and she has her own problems despite everything. If I had to pick one show that I think everyone in the world should watch, it would be this one. I can't find a show as carefully made to this day. Here's to searching for one though. If you don't watch it after all I've said, you're missing out. Go and watch it, you won't regret it.

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