Drama Digest
Wen Xiao Nuan has been working hard to support the Huangmei Opera Troupe. In order to earn more, she looks for acting gigs and ends up booking an unconventional one. The job requires her to act as if she has a crush on CEO Ye Fei Mo. The story progresses as she grows as an actor and may possible find true love. Will the pretend romance blossom into true love?
The Feel-Good Part
The couples on the show have strong chemistry, which really amplifies the romantic aspect of the show. Most of the characters, both side and main are extremely likable and easy to cheer. The characters are well-written and fully developed; their defining traits drive the plot, making it an interesting show to watch. The drama is hilarious and strikes a good balance between romance and comedy. The Original Soundtrack is really good and fits the story well.
The Disappointing Factor
The story is nothing new, it is riddled with common clichés and tropes that may get old after watching for some time as there is very little plot that goes beyond the tropes. Some of the clichés end up diluting the existing plot and are often distracting from the core plot, which makes the show distracting to watch. It’s a really long show and it feels that way as there isn’t enough of a plot to justify the thirty-six episode run period. The show is unrealistic, which is normal for romance dramas but the show gets over-the-top quite often, which can get annoying to watch after some time as it comes off as overbearing. The pacing of the show is inconsistent as it starts dragging after the show is halfway done. Towards the last few episodes of the show, things start going off the rails, the story loses focus and the characters start acting out in ways that are sudden and unwarranted, which is quite disappointing to watch.
In-Depth Analysis
The drama would have been a lot better if there weren’t so many episodes. Some of the subplots should have been shorter or eradicated altogether as it made the drama unnecessarily over the top. The show really shines in the first half as there is space for romance and comedy topped with anticipation of romance between all the couples. The show nevertheless is consistent on delivering the chemistry of the couples throughout the show, which is fun to watch.
Star Power
All the performances are quite good, especially considering that most of the actors are new. They manage to deliver charming performances that manage to engage the audience throughout the show, which shows how skilled and professional they are as actors.
Overall Opinion
Girlfriend is a fun show to watch for the most part, it has a lot of elements working for it. For people who enjoy a typical run of the mill romance-comedy, this is a show for you. Don’t go in expecting too much or anything new and you just might have a good time.
