Drama Digest
Xia Shi Cheng is a college student who joins a charity tour in place of her sick brother because of her grandmother’s wish. She was joins by a band of boys every single day and soon becomes an attraction for her senior Gu Lan. She is forced to confront her conflict of hiding her true identity as well as dealing with the internal and external obstacles that occur in the band. She pushes herself to prove herself to them while finding love, passion and enriching friendships along the way. The series is adapted from the popular web comic Be Idol or Be Lover.
The Feel-Good Part
The chemistry between the protagonists is great and remains to be the highlight of the show as they represent the romantic aspect of the show very well. The musical aspect of the show is also well done as the original soundtrack adds character to the series as well as engages viewers. The setting of the show is quite engaging as it gives the characters a nice backdrop to grow and form new dynamics amongst groups. It does the two things it promises on, which is romance and music.
The Disappointing Factor
Each episode has run time of only 7 minutes, which is its major shortcoming as it doesn’t give the characters time to develop and for relationships to feel like they are progressing naturally. Everything feels extremely rushed, which can get frustrating quite quickly. It also makes the audience feel like the characters could have been developed a lot more, which is quite disappointing. The show is a culmination of other romance genre clichés such as the girl being disguised as a boy, sick grandmother, rumours and breakups to pursue true passion. This can get exhausting to watch as some viewers may feel like the show gives them déjà vu as it has nothing new to offer. The presentation of the story is choppy as the pacing is inconsistent and the changing plots feel sudden. It often feels like there is too much happening all at once.
In-Depth Analysis
The drama suffers from a lack of development. The limited budget and lacking quality really comes across strongly. If the episodes were a little longer and gave the characters time to grow into their feelings naturally, it would have made the show an enjoyable experience as the story would feel consistent. It may feel like the story would flow a lot more smoothly and would distract viewers a lot less if this was done. The show suffers from a series of missed opportunities as it is quite entertaining despite being riddled by clichés as the characters are strong enough to carry the simple plot.
Star Power
All the performances were great. The cast did their best with whatever little they had to work with. They made the show feel a lot more believable despite the sudden changes in plotlines.
Overall Opinion
If you are looking for something that doesn’t need too much investment, is more or less enjoyable and easy going, this may be worth a shot.
