This is the best nor is this the worst C-drama I've watched recently but somehow I feel compelled to write a review about it. I started this with a warning from my sister who dropped it on the first episode because she thought it was boring. It wasn't.

The production of this drama is far from perfect. There were a lot of shaky and unpolished shots that reminded me of low-budget indie works. The actors weren't as flawless as you would see in some mainstream dramas either and the acting was a bit awkward at times. Nonetheless, these actors and shots came together to make one point - this isn't your ordinary school-life drama.

This is a slow-paced and realistic story that follows four college dormmates as they navigate through their university life. With warm tones that invoke a sense of nostalgia, watching this drama almost felt like reading a book. Each episode is comparable to finishing a chapter of Little Women had they been Chinese instead of Westerners and dormmates instead of sisters.

The concept of this drama is generally good. I could have rated the story higher if not for these reasons:

First, I absolutely hated Bai Lin. I admire how loyal she was but honestly, she was the type of person whom I would have slapped had she been my roommate. There was a hint of character growth towards the end of the drama but it was hardly enough.

Second, there was no conclusion at all to Zhao Xiao Tang's story. I love a good open ending but this wasn't just a giant loose end - this feels like the story was left unfinished midway and what I know so far makes me imagine that things can definitely get worse.

Third, the ending was just - to put it simply - disappointing. I would have preferred an open ending to the one that was shown. It wasn't even about the pairing; it was about how the build-up was made. All the hints were pointing to the pair closing their chapter; and except for the fact that she didn't take her assessment or submit her drafts, there wasn't even a hint of confusion on the female lead's end. She had seemed so resolute only to make a decision that was totally unexpected.

So what happened? I felt like some parts of this story were missing, like pages of the book being ripped out right before the very end.