Go Go Squid was more than a romance drama: it was a motivating story that told of the characters' heart-wrenching past, their friendships, and their everlasting, enduring dreams. I've always been drawn to esports or computer-related dramas ever since watching Falling Into Your Smile, and I can see the parallel events between the two dramas. Both were amazing, but this one has a special place in my heart. Whether its the K&K members that always had me burst out laughing, or the cute scenes between the couples that made me smile, or the nostalgic flashbacks that left my heart aching at their regrets, or the OSTs that made me contemplate on the lyrics, this drama pretty much had it all. For my personally, the most important wasn't the romance between the main couple; The dream shared by the K&K members, everyone else in the CTF field, and of course, the one who carried it all on his shoulder, Han ShangYan, touched me the most. This drama had many lessons that deserves their recognition, and it motivates me to chase my dreams as well.

**Story**:
The synopsis tells the storyline of the drama, so I won't elaborate too much about it. However, I do want to mention a few details that contributes to the overall story. The story is mainly set in ShangHai in addition to a few places where the teams compete such as BeiJing, GuangZhou, and SanYa. Go Go Squid isn't actually about esports. It revolves around a complicated competition called CTF (Capture The Flag) that requires skilled professionals to defend computer systems and solve challenging cyber security problems. Most outside of the field don't understand what it is truly about and their mistaken the professionals as people who waste their time and lives playing computers. The team members don't bother with others' misunderstandings, but they work hard and train to not make money but to bring glory and honor to their country. Underlying their mischievous and playful personalities is a shared dream: to secure the world champion. Their determination, persistence, courage, and hard work really touched me in the drama.

**Acting/Cast**: --this is going to be long--
Han ShangYan (Actor: Li Xian 李现) is a retired CTF member who now owns the K&K team and is the boss to the K&K members. To me, he was the most interesting character. Throughout the entire show, I found myself trying to understand him and figure out his past and what he held at heart that he refused to reveal. His hidden pain, dreams, regret, sadness, and loneliness created the emotionless, cold character that we saw in the beginning of the show. That is, until he met Tong Nian, to whom he finally opened up to. He had one of the brightest and warmest smiles in the show; I can't express the happiness I felt seeing his smile. The few emotions he showed (later in the show) had me in tears as well. Han ShangYan is also one of the most selfless people I've ever seen...in his own way of course. He gave up on his dream and learned his lesson but he now devotes his life to help what he calls "kids" to achieve the dream they share. I don't think nothing in the show could express the amount of pressure and pain he felt from his past. He was lonely and sad but full of passion and dreams. In addition, the five main K&K members (97, Demo, One, Grunt, and DT) view him not just as their boss, but also their older brother who cares for them, shares their dream, and helps them fight for that dream. There were a few scenes in the drama where Han ShangYan went into their room at night to help clean up their mess, tuck them in bed, and make sure they get rest and were healthy; Those simple scenes touched me a lot because it illustrated their strong relationship. Even though the five K&K members were shown to be "afraid" and feared Han ShangYan, one could easily tell that they truly respected and understood that he cared for them from the bottom of his heart. Li Xian did an outstanding job portraying such as tough character. In real life, he is happy and full of smiles, so to act as someone who is mean outside but warm at heart is tough, but I can't imagine another actor doing this job. Not to mention, his smirks and facial expressions in the show had me squealing at times.

Tong Nian aka You XiaoYu (Actress: Yang Zi 杨紫) is the complete opposite personality of Han ShangYan but they attracted like a proton and electron. She became the only person who truly understood the thoughts and pain of Han ShangYan, as well as his desperation and dream of helping the K&K "kids" fulfill their dreams. She was so understanding and supportive. Although there were some parts I questioned or got annoyed regarding her decisions and personality, I chose to overlook them because of the cute relationship she had with Han ShangYan. Tong Nian excelled at her studies, and she was extremely well-liked by the K&K members, who called her "sister-in-law". I found this to be super cute and wholesome, for they respected her at first glance and accepted her. I've seen a few of YangZi's dramas, such as Battle of ChangSha, and I know she's been acting since she was young. She fulfilled this role beyond my expectations. Her crying scenes were on point, and at times, I couldn't believe how real the scenes seemed. An indeed well done!

I would like to commend each of the K&K members. They honestly were amazing, and to me, the show was complete with them. Every time the five of them were in the same frame, I knew that they would bring a smile to my face. They were so contagious and spread so much happiness. I admire their strong relationship as they trained, ran, played, and joked with each other. This kind of friendship is rare nowadays. I feel that it would not serve them right to not mention them:
*DT/WuBai (Actor: HuYiTian 胡一天）was quite the character. He was very similar to his brother: quiet, serious, and rarely showing emotions. I'm going to admit, I found myself falling for his attractiveness, his smirks, and those eyes...Anywho, DT was, once again like his brother (actually cousin), smart and #1 in the field. He had a ferocity and hunger in his eyes to win as champions with his team. As the leader, he had power and earned the respect from his team. Yet, he became the funder for his cousin's relationship. In the second season (Go Go Squid 2: Dt and Appledog's Time), his relationship with SP's Appledog was elaborated. Although I have not watched it, this first season already left me in butterflies. Wu Bai's first smile and inspiration comes from AppleDog. Hu YiTian did a phenomenal job portraying WuBai. I first watched him in "A Love So Beautiful", but his portrayal in this drama was absolutely amazing.
*97 (Actor: Li MingDe 李明德) was definitely one of my favorites. He was one of the strongest advocates for Han ShangYan and Tong Nian's relationship. I found myself cracking up on his expressions, jokes, and roller skates, but I was touched by his serious attitude and perseverance in training as a professional competitor. I was first introduced to the actor Li MingDe in the 2018 film "When We Were Young" (highly recommend) and saw him once more in "Lovely Us" (also recommend). He did wonderful in both, but I really enjoyed his acting in this drama. I look forward to more of his works in the future!
*Grunt (Actor: Wen YiFan 文苡帆) had the looks. His glasses, hair, and outfits were on point. He also always brought a smile to my face but left me in tears at certain points in drama. I can't believe the actor was 31-32 when he filmed the drama because it looked like he was 20 haha but he was also wonderful!
*One (Actor: Xu LeXiao 许乐骁). His determination in training and his humble attitude when the inevitable came really taught me a lesson. There's people out there who are talented at certain things, and sometimes, hard work can't beat that. However, that doesn't mean you shouldn't work hard because you will always have a chance to chase your dreams. One has taught me that with his experience in the show. The actor also did a nice job portraying him!
*Demo (Actor: Yu ChengEn 余承恩) was definitely one of my favorites in the show. The trio (Demo, 97, and Grunt) had me cracking up at times; They were definitely the highlight! Demo was the baby of the team, and I found myself loving him like he was my child. He was so cute, innocent, hard working, and it seemed that he was too young to understand certain things like divorce and love. He always put others before him, and he knew that he had his "older brothers" who would look out and protect him. Yu ChengEn was one of the youngest in the cast (around 20), but he did amazing. I look forward to more of his works!!

Next, I would like to mention the Solo Team...the OG group that carried the most stories, accomplishments, and pain. Consisting of Solo/Wang Hao (leader), ALL (Ou Qiang), Gun (Han ShangYan), Appledog (Ai Qing), and XiaoMi (Mi ShaoFei), they were the ones that started off in the CTF field and brought China into this competition. They fought off all doubts, hatred, accusations, and mockery from others. They started off from nothing. Living in a big city, they fought to eat, stay clothed, sleep, but they were motivated by their dream: world champions. Sadly, life struck them and they were forced to disband. Each going their own ways, some kept playing, some retired, some left completely, and some chased the dream on a different route. Han ShangYang retired at the best age. Appledog lost her love and also retired. Solo had to assume responsibilities as a dad. XiaoMi left and went home, thinking his dream was gone. ALL kept fighting, but without his team, it was different. Life forced them all to grow up. Ten years. What hit me was seeing the flashbacks and how young and free they each were as they fought for their dream. During their youth, they laughed and enjoyed life despite not having money or other's approval. Yet, ten years later, they all drastically changed. It was unbelievable for me to see this comparison.
*XiaoMi/Mi ShaoFei (Actor: Lee HongChi 李鴻其) was one of my favorites. He thought that he would never achieve his dream and almost gave up. Life hit him hard because he had to face the reality that he was getting older and the younger generations were dominating. On the bright side, he had a wonderful girl, Sun YaYa, by him who encouraged and supported him in whatever he did, and most importantly, she helped him achieve his dreams. The actor was one of the best. He crying and scenes where he yelled and expressed his anger left me in awe. Words can't explain how well his acting was.
- Sun YaYa (Actor: Jiang PeiYao) was a bright, encouraging, and cute girl. The relationship between her and XiaoMi was one of my favorites; I can say that at times, I liked them more than the main couple. Also, the actress was just gorgeous; Her smile was stunning...I don't blame XiaoMi falling for her at first sight.

Lastly, I want to commend the rest of the characters (and actors/actresses portraying them), whether it was Su Cheng, Nan Wei, One's mom, Tong Nian's parents, Han ShangYan's mom, or the cats, they all were awesome. And of course, Han ShangYan's grandpa was the ultimate supporter and matchmaker. Han ShangYan and Tong Nian owe him one for their relationship haha.

**Music**:
I am a very big music person, and the OST of a drama contributes a lot to how I feel about it. This drama had some touching OSTs, and their lyrics were just astounding. Here are some of my favorites:

1. "Nameless Generation“ 《无名之辈》sang by Chen XueRang, aka cdrama OST King. Many of my favorite OSTs in dramas are sung by him, so I wasn't surprised when he sang this powerful song as well. His voice is just breathtaking. This song was definitely my favorite in the drama; I didn't skip the intro because of how much I loved this song. The lyrics made me tear up at times: "It doesn't matter who is forgotten. Who doesn't fight until the end of life? It may be tiring and exhausting. It may be humbling, a lifetime of waiting. It may never become your glory...Continue to chase it. Whose glory is not accompanied by tears?" This song depicts who Han ShangYan is as well as what life it. The song is full of emptiness and loneliness, like Han ShangYan was. No one understood him, and he didn't care if anyone understood, but Tong Nian did. He was forgotten and became nameless, but it didn't matter. He kept on chasing his dreams.

2. "Sky" 《海阔天空》sung by Beyond. When this song first played in the first episode, I cried. Beyond was a generation, just like how Solo was a generation. This was their song and millions of others around the world. It tells the pain of chasing one's dreams and to never, ever give up: "Chasing dreams in wind and rain...facing vast sky, wide ocean, would you and I change (who is not changing?) How many times have I faced the cold-eyed and ridicule? Never have I given up my heart's hope and ideals...Forgive me, I have been unruly and a love of freedom all my life. I too, fear I might fall down someday. Anyone can abandon their dreams. I'm not afraid if someday there's only left you and me (chasing our dreams)...Still I am free and independent. Forever singing my song, traveling thousands of miles." This song forever holds a special place in my heart.

3. "Glory" 《光耀》sung by Lara Liang. This is a very upbeat song that I believe belongs to the teams in CTF as they stand and fight on stage. The lyrics are very motivating: "I've decided to stand in this unknown distance...let's go together...when dreams have come to this perspective...Let the brave reveal the endless pride and glory. Your firm gaze is always forward...Overcoming new difficulties and new heartbeats...Let your teen spirit shine". Specifically, I think this song if made for the K&K team and its members. They are a team and that team spirit was unbeatable. It was so amazing to witness as they stood together, trained, worked hard, fought, chased, and won together. The feeling was unbelievable. I found myself as nervous as they each were before a competition, as sad and disappointed but not hopeless when they lost, and as happy and excited as they were when they won. A truly amazing feeling.

**What some may DISLIKE**:
Some may find the reason for Solo team's disband to be absurd. I won't spoil too much, but I do want to say that they were young and yes, they made their decisions based on anger and how they felt at the time. This led to a lot of regrets, which were clearly illustrated in the drama. Who didn't make a stupid decision during their youth? If not, were you ever young before? This was obviously a big decision and many lessons could be learned from it. Also, some might find the main girl's personality a little frustrating or annoying at times because I did sometimes as well, but I chose to overlook it. It you are not a fan of some cringey scenes or lots of sweet scenes, this drama may not be your cup of tea, but who knows? You might like it, so don't hesitate to give it a chance.
At first, I was a little annoyed or bothered that Beyond's song was sung in Mandarin Chinese and not in Cantonese since the original version was in Cantonese. For me, even though I don't speak Cantonese, it hits harder. I assume it's because of copyrights, so I soon got used to the Mandarin version.

**Life Lessons/Things I've Learned**:
1. Life is full of regrets. Don't dwell on them because they will make you lose hope. Instead, transform them. Change them into lessons you can learn or points in life that helped you grow. Rethink decisions and avoid making decisions based on feeling.

2. Never, ever stop chasing your dreams. Life is going to hit and throw obstacles at you. People are going to ridicule and doubt you, but show them. Show them that you are capable of achieving beyond your dreams. Yes, there are more talented and smarter people out there. Sometimes, you may work so hard but not reach their level. But that is OKAY! It doesn't mean you shouldn't try. You should always try...so you won't live a life of regrets.

3. Never give up on your friends. Keep fighting alongside them. Open your heart sometimes and let those worthy to see what it's inside. You might be surprised. Love. Have fun. Enjoy life.

**Favorite Quotes**:
1. "In the past two years and three months, I have won, lost, laughed, cried, been questioned, criticized, shady...never justified, and need not be justified. Tonight, the Huayan is finally over, and success and fame are achieved, and the eyes are full of absurdity." -- Han ShangYan

2. "But I can't claim success because I gave up. So I sincerely hope that you don't give up halfway. In the face of any game in your life, you must do your best... No one wants to leave, all choices are forced and helpless, the cruelest is the end of the hero, so I hope you, in your final days at a good age, fight hard and count as far as you can, so that you will not leave regrets in this life." -- Han ShangYan

3. "It's like when two people go for a walk, you don't need to say anything, but slowly the pace will be the same, and you will see the scenery you each are admiring" -- Tong Nian's mom

**Rewatch**:
9/10. Whenever I need motivation for my dreams or want a powerful song to listen to, I know which drama to come back to. This drama pretty much has it all. Whenever I miss the K&K team, small Demo, the trios, Han ShangYan's smile, the cute romance between the couples (especially XiaoMi and YaYa), and DT's smirks, I know where to go. This drama deserves its recognition and this rewatch value!! Thank you to the cast, crew, writer of the novel from which the drama was developed from, and everyone else contributing to this masterpiece!