Drama Digest
This Chinese drama, also known as “De Wei Xiao Xiang Ke Tang” in its native language, is one of the most captivating releases of 2020. Based on the novel of the same title, it follows the story of Xu Jing Su, a cute and hardworking girl who is bad at maths. She unintentionally manages to charm the new transfer student, Chu You Ning, who is a math genius and is drawn to her candy-sweet smile. He decides to help her with her studies in lieu of spending time with her.
The Feel-Good Part
The drama is very pure and sweet, just a simple puppy dog kind of love. The portrayal of the story is very beautiful, filled with loads of heart-fluttering moments as the romantic relationship between the main characters develop. As the plot takes a heavier turn, both of them are willing to help each other in dire circumstances, proving their love is deeper than just a high school crush.
The Disappointing factor
The only shortcoming of the otherwise perfect story is its predictability. It’s a little cliché with the handsome boy who doesn’t care about school and studies but is still a genius, falling in love with a cute nerd girl who is dumb in maths. His decision to help her and their love blooming during the study sessions are all par for the course.
In-Depth Analysis
Xu Jing Su is a second-year class I student who is portrayed as a cold person. She isn’t very talkative and is almost invisible to the class only if it weren’t for the math teacher constantly sending her out of the class as a punishment. Chu You Ning comes from a very different background, but he takes a liking to the sweet smile of Jing Su and offers to help her with maths. The drama shows their budding romance and reflects the journey of students as they help each other and strive toward their dreams. Despite the lack of kissing or intimate scenes, the lead couple’s chemistry is palpable. Some snippets of high school reality are also depicted throughout the drama, like how the students study for exams, people stealing class money, and the ridicule faced by the students for trivial things. The part where Jing Su travels down the memory lane and says goodbye to her memories of school tugs at my heartstrings. The emotionally reverberating OSTs of the drama add to the captivating portrayal of sentiments. Laughter, tears, pain, joy, and many firsts come together as the story develops.
Star Power
The cast of this drama is absolutely perfect for their respective roles. Chen Si Yu is very young and cute, with a sugary sweet smile that matches the title of the drama, “Her Smile is So Sweet”. The handsome face and slight bad boy aura of Chen Xiang Yu match well with the qualities required of the male lead.
Overall Opinion
Ultimately, the series is fulfilling. It is definitely worth your time, more so if you love high school romance dramas. The plot isn’t too dark and heavy. The series makes for a good short and sweet watch.
