My Youth (2019)

A cute coming-of-age drama with added nostalgia of the early 2000's!

This drama is such a cute coming-of-age story
spanning from the main characters' high school days in the early 2000's
to their professional careers in 2011.

Main characters are chasing after their dreams as well as after their loved ones
And while there is this VERY MINI sad part in the middle, most of it is cute and happy (for those of you wanting a light-hearted watch)

Beware of second male lead syndrome though, some people caught it real bad (I was team First Male Lead :P)

For those of us that grew up in the 2000's-2011, this will be a nostalgic tour through:
- phones
- QQ messenger
- famous Chinese bands/singers, as well as song lyrics
- the development of music from cassette tapes to CDs to streaming platforms
I wish there was a bit more of the pop references, though XD

It's quite a good watch if you're in for some fluff and want a trip down memory lane.
Don't expect overt-sweet romance; this is a youth drama :P

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Cute but has its flaws

Overall, this was really cute and I liked the development of frenemies-to-lovers, of two people coming together because of the people they associate themselves with and not completely just due to random misunderstandings. The flow of going from high school to college to work-life was smooth as well, and I liked the feeling of slice-of-life.

At the same time, I felt like this is one of those dramas that needed to be longer; because it had to cover such a long period of characters' lives in a short time, I felt like they tried to hit that nostalgia factor and evoke the sentimentality of growing up, but there wasn't nearly enough time for me to feel that the characters were that close.

The love triangle wasn't dragged out and progressed in one direction, which was nice, but there are aspects of the romance plot that I felt could have been developed and explained better. During these periods I actually preferred the second ship's story. I definitely did not like all the side characters equally.

Something about the FL's acting or character just kind of bothered me; it's like she's always cooing to a baby or pouting, even after she grew up I felt like her personality didn't develop as much as I wanted it to.

Still, this was overall a fun watch — one that doesn't require you to think that much but still gets you to smile.

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when was the last time i enjoyed a youth drama this much? i have no idea. the fact that i don't remember tells you how much this drama has made it so memorable for me to forget about other youth dramas. sure, this drama is cliche, as most youth dramas are, but the flow of this drama and its character development was such a beautiful journey to follow. it sort of hit close to home for me because it reminds me of my own school life, especially during the high school and university era —had me feeling super sentimental!

compared to other youth dramas, i love how this one is the most realistic of them all (as of 2019, i guess). the writer doesn't glorify things just to make viewers happy. our characters go through ups and downs and they behave in certain ways because of the expectations surrounding them; this was really relatable as a viewer because i'm sure most of us have gone/or are going through our teenage years feeling the same way such as pressure, stress and other complicated feelings hard to put into words. one other aspect i love about this drama is the friendship carried by our 6 characters. when there is a conflict between them, such as between our first and second male lead, they don't use violence to add tension to the drama (which most drama does because writers love the fight scenes haha). the way they solved their problem was rational and mature and it makes you realise how having communication is very important.

same for the way the writer portrayed love. there are so many types of love in this drama and each of them was shown beautifully through the characters' journey of growth, whether it was very subtle or very obvious. my heart felt for tingting a lot, but i also admired the way she handled her problem/one-sided love. i initially thought the writer was going to turn her into some sort of annoying and bitchy character, but i was so thankful that it didn't happen because it made it more realistic for a girl her age (when she first fell in love with you-know-who after you start watching) and that sense of hope that she was feeling when they met again in beijing was just too...real (?). sigh...when you're young and naive...

i also loved mei li's character very much, especially her as a best friend. mei li's friendship with cancan is too precious. my most memorable scene of her was when she gave cancan her hair clip to make cancan look prettier because cancan's crush was walking pass. she also said that she cannot have a crush/fall in love with the same person as cancan because they are best friends. how sweet is that?! :')

the actors are quite young and still very fresh in the acting scene so do not expect the acting to be 10/10. it's not cringy though, so that's good. i quite liked li jia qi when she was in meteor garden which was the reason why i decided to give this drama a try. no regrets at all.

watch this if:
- you want something light-hearted.
- you love a drama about friendship and love.
- you like watching a character's journey of growth from high school to uni to adulthood.
- you want to take a break from side bitches lmao.
- you're usually scared/don't want to watch annoying love-triangles (this one will keep you feeling neutral about both males because the writer gives proper/mature reasons for the man our fl end up choosing. in most other dramas, our leads tend to end up together just because they're leads or they usually turn our second male lead into some evil man because they need to make him look bad so he not be accepted by the fl lead...).
- you're sick of stupid, dense and no-brain female leads. su cancan is just an average girl like most of us viewers; she has things that she is good at and things that she is bad at and she's very rational when she encounters problems + knows how to solve them by acting rationally rather than making stupid decisions.
- you're searching for a short drama. this one has only 24 eps!

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Loveable

This drama is a very good drama but I almost dropped it. I accidentally read the summary and the plot wasn't very unique. But I finished it today and actually remembered why I loved it. The friendship between some of the characters really gets me going. Xu Mei Li and Tang Xing Yi were the best couple due to the fact they could love each other without problems. But in the end, everyone got a loved one. Tianye and Cancan got engaged, Xu Mei Li and Tang Xing Yi are engaged/married, Lin Zhou got married, and Jiaze and Yating probably become a couple. There's a scene of them together that wasn't published. You can search for it or ask me for the link. This drama is very enjoyable but you need to put effort into it. The acting wasn't that great and had cringey moments but the actors themselves are very nice. If you drop this drama I wouldn't be surprised because it's just a regular school love triangle drama. I prefer Accidentally in Love over this because it has more reasons why should continue watching it. And the plot doesn't die down. The writers and producers did very well on this though. If there was a Korean version I wouldn't watch it. Off-topic but I also watched ALSB and they made a Korean version. I for one won't watch it because I just don't think remakes are better than an original. Unless it is a movie into a drama or vise versa. Anyway, that's it. Enjoy the drama!

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Not bad, not great.

This drama was very similar to A Love so beautiful, a which is a drama I just watched recently so it felt a bit repetitive.
In all actuality the only difference between the two dramas was that here the FL was crushing on the ML’s best friend, and in A Love so beautiful the FL crushes on the ML.

There were very few differences between the two dramas, maybe you could say the FL here was a bit toned down compared to the one in ALSB but just barely. Otherwise both the dramas followed the same pattern, high school led to college which led to falling in love, then a try at long distance/too busy to meet which led to an unnecessary breakup and then a reunion at the end. I don’t know who copied who and I also just can’t be bothered to check the year each was released.

I did really like the ML here, he was cute. I also liked that the ML & FL developed a proper friendship that acted as a frame work for them liking each other. But I did find the FL frustrating, but that’s a problem I have with a lot of C-dramas, the FL are mostly childish, unpractical and weak sadly.

I also want to point out whoever did the FL’ makeup during the high school years, you seriously F-ed up. She constantly looks so pale, and the concealer on her eyes, gawd, so many creases! I don’t know if it was done to make her look younger, but with that awful, I assume wig, she always looks a step away from passing out.

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Perfect!!

This drama is considered one of my favorites C-dramas. This was so heartwarming and also a great learning experience of growing up.

Story:
I was in love with the story. This drama is your typical coming-of-age drama which I'm a sucker for and enjoy a lot. It started with the high school premise of the show where we meet all the characters and how they become friends going on to college together. I enjoyed it more when they were In college but I did enjoy it when they were in high school too.

Characters:
I loved all the characters !! Su Can-Can was such a fun character to watch and you could relate to at times, which I really liked. Lan Tian Ye, I loved him !! He was just the best love interest and fell in love with Su Can-Can and there moments together I love. Esspecialy the ending i was so shocked by it. There relashiop was basically a love- hate relationship which I'm also a sucker for, The ML (Lan Tian Ye) found The FL(Su Can-Can) annoying but ended up adoring her at the end.
I also love in this drama that you fall in love with the side character too and just wish them all the happiness and their friendship with each other was so heartwarming. Even the side couple were cute and had their time to shine.

OST
My favorite song was: Further in The Distance - Allen, Wang Wenting

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Sweet

This high school drama was really sweet and inspiring.

I enjoyed the ML and his character, the FL was very natural and not over childish.

The length of the drama was just great, not draggy and not over played out, the story flowed easily. The ML was good at his character he had a level of charm with out coming pompous. The overall drama was pleasant to watch and sweet, with a happy ending.

I feel this show really let the main FL accomplish what she had set out to do, the only thing I felt she should not have made a decision for him continue to leave for abroad it was his decision and the fact that he went but was unhappy for all those years. However it all came together very nicely and happy.

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Just what I was looking for

I think My Youth was just perfect for what I was looking for hence the high overall rating. Objectively, it is not an 8 more of a 6. However, the drama worked for me. There is romance, but there is also some focus on one's dreams and friendships.

The acting is very green, but I grew to love every character which is why the rating is high. I actually wanted to know what happened to everyone, which is not an easy task for a drama. The editing can feel choppy and writing is not always smooth. The last few episodes were the most disappointing part because we needed more time with the characters as adults. It felt rushed.

**SPOILER**I think the main couple needed more time to miss and want each other. Their reunion felt too rushed, and the years they spend apart did not feel all the painful. I love angst when it is used properly, and this felt like a wasted opportunity to incorporate some. **SPOILER**

However, I did like that the ending wasn't necessarily about the couple getting together. Yes, romance is a big part of the drama, but that wasn't the only message in it. Personally, the best part for me was the friendships.

Recommended if you enjoy youth cdramas. Want something quick and easy to watch. Attractive and young cast (female lead does take some time to get used to, but I liked her in the end). Quite a lot of (slightly awkward, but still loved every moment) skinship especially for a cdrama (though I think the male lead was a bit rough in some scenes...I think that's still something cdramas overall need to improve on)

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Just a cliche and typical chinese school drama but have a better storyline compare to others. The drama start with a youth and school story but climax with some conflict. In my opinion, this drama was topping the school drama list because the main lead itself. A rascal 'gangster' looks boy with a cute innocent girl. This is actually not new in drama but this time really hit different. The most crazy things is the second lead syndrome also very strong in this drama because the both male lead and second lead are suitable for the girl eventhough both of them have different personality..

The plot is good and i love how the different story from different couple can be mix into one stroyline.. in mid of the story, there are some boring plot but as i said, there were some storyline so, it's not really focus on one thing.. many people not realize that this drama is more focusing on friendship compare with romance.. the title of the drama itself told everything about the story

you guys should give a try for this one, if you got quarantine becuase of covid-19, watch this lmao..

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Best Drama

I love the story, cast, music and everything about this drama. The way the writer portray characters and development of emotions its the best part of the story. I have watched it more than 4 times and i really can't get over it. The leads have a great chemistry. ML loved her silently and stayed by her side in the first half which shows his sincerity wonderfully. During there separation period the way he missed her n his letter that whole scenario was heart touching. I love those drams where people portray characters close to reality n shows that though love is important but pursuing your dreams is more important. So, you have to achieve your dreams just to stay happily with your loved once .

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A refreshingly honest coming of age story.

Youth is a nostalgic coming of age story that follows a group of friends from their teen years to twenties. It was honest and thorough, and not everyone gets an immediately happy ending with a bow tied on it, which I loved. The plot is nothing terribly new, but the relationships within making the viewing experience an easy and pleasant one.

The main focus is on that of Su Can Can, her friendships, and how she navigates everyday life and romance. There is a love triangle, but it is done well. The romance is lovely, gradual, and really shows the process of growing up. This is not the drama where everybody gets things perfectly, skating into the finish line at the last minute. There are tears, countless failed attempts, uncertainty, and sacrifice. But there are also smiles, laughter, support, and beautiful memories. Youth did a job well done in capturing the growing pains of getting older and figuring out life.

The acting was good, the OST was decent (I expected a little bit more from a drama focusing so much on music), and the couples were cute. The main couple had such lovely chemistry, and it made me super happy to see that there was no jerk lead in this one. Only (save for the occasional mishap) wholesome and thoughtful relationships here folks. Also, there were no annoying or hateful characters to create drama and I loved that.

All in all, this was an extremely easy and pleasant watch. I definitely recommend if you're looking for something light and nostalgic with very light angst.

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It is an OK kinda of youth story in which the main characters transitions from school to college to adults. Nothing out of the ordinary just usual normal day to day scenarios. ML is tsundere type who is annoyed at everything the FL does but secretly loves her. I actually started to watch this show because of this trope I saw in a YouTube clip.

SPOILER AHEAD...

This plot actually runs quite into the second half of the show but what made me drop it was the way the handled the transition of them them being love-hate bickering friends to lovers in a single episode without proper prelude!

Like the FL was still shown to be somewhat in love with the Second Male lead until a moment ago before she decides to go to the First ML. Even that actually looked like she is just choosing to join him for the concert without the implied meaning of choosing him as her Boyfriend or anything... But then all of a sudden she agrees to go on a date with him as she has lost the tickets to the concert which they were supposed to go. And then she is also ready to spend the night with him alone after that in a deserted beach and also wakes up to a steamy kiss, all in that very same day?! How ridiculous!
I mean imagine going to a concert with a friend and waking up next day to a steamy kiss on a beach ?! Where's the story development for which we actually watch the drama for? It all went past like a rocket in a blink of the eye! So unsatisfactory...

I really wanted to see her slow realization that the person who is really perfect for her is the first ML and then their romance to begin but this was totally blahhh... So rushed and totally off putting at least for me... And what was worse was after that there wasn't a hint of bickering, it just became too sappy for a long time and then the usual plot twista of going abroad and all that usual C drama stuff...

Acting wise, even though I found the Male lead really handsome, I think his reactions need to be improved... His confession to the FL and all his lovey dovey actions don't seem believable because of his facial reactions... It's like he's set his face in 'I don't like you' mode but his character has progressed to 'I can't live without you' mode... But I must admit, the kiss scenes were really good! ;D

Another person whose acting was off was the Music teacher. He seemed really miscast imo. Something was really odd about that character...

Well overall, I would rate it 7/10 for its cute 1st half.

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