THE SHORT VERDICT:

In my opinion, Show’s mainly an unhurried slice-of-life romance, meshed with our characters’ journeys of self-discovery, meshed with a good dose of sports drama, meshed with a touch of prodigal son.

Opinions on this show are very divided, but if you are able to enjoy China’s brand of romance-in-the-everyday (a sub-genre that I find I’ve grown to love), then you’ve got a pretty good chance of enjoying this one.

Wu Lei and Zhao Jin Mai are both very good in this, and I found that I grew fond of not only their characters, but many other characters in this story world as well, to the point that I felt sorry to say goodbye, when I got to the end. 🥲

A solidly enjoyable watch overall, and no, you don’t have to know or love snooker, in order to enjoy this one. 😉

THE LONG VERDICT:

It seems like I might be in the minority here, since I’ve seen quite a few people say that they found this show to be very boring, and only watched it for Wu Lei, as a matter of loyalty.

Y’know what, though? I found myself really, really enjoying this one. 🥲

Just goes to show that you never can tell, eh?

Online chatter might be overwhelmingly loud about how many folks don’t dig a particular show, and yet – as was my case with this show – you might just end up bucking the trend, and find yourself sincerely liking something that didn’t work for so many other people.

Of course, your mileage may vary, but if your drama taste is like mine, I really hope you’ll be able to enjoy this one too. ❤️

OST ALBUM: FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE

Here’s the OST album, in case you’d like to listen to it while you read the review.

Overall, I found the OST pleasant enough, though none of the songs really became a favorite for me personally.

Shout-out to Wu Lei for singing Track 3, “Love and Shine,” which I feel is going above and beyond, even though I have to admit that I personally didn’t care for the song itself too much myself. 😅

HOW I’M APPROACHING THIS REVIEW

First I’ll talk about how to manage your expectations going into this one, and what viewing lens would be most helpful.

After that, I talk about what I liked and liked less, covering the more macro aspects of Show, and then I give the selective spotlight to characters and relationships, in a separate section.

Finally, I also spend some time talking about my thoughts on the penultimate episodes, as well as our finale episodes.

If you’re interested in my blow-by-blow reactions, &/or all the various Patreon members’ comments during the course of our watch, you might like to check out my episode notes on Patreon here.

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS / THE VIEWING LENS

Here are a few things that I think would be helpful to keep in mind, to maximize your enjoyment of your watch:

1. This one vibes slice-of-life

Contrary to the “snowstorm” in Show’s title, Show is actually very slice-of-life in its approach, which means that folks expecting a “snowstorm” of narrative events are likely to feel disappointed by Show’s comparatively slower pace.

Adjusting your lens for that really helps, I feel.

Most of us over on Patreon agree that the pace picks up after episode 13, so that’s something else that might be useful to keep in mind.

2. Subtext is important, at least sometimes

I found this particularly true in Show’s first few episodes, where a lot of things are left unspoken.

Paying close attention to the subtext (more on that in a bit) really helped me to appreciate these same first few episodes, which might have likely bored or lost a more casual viewer.

3. Our male lead might come off as a bit creepy, at first 😅

We realize eventually, that Yiyang (Wu Lei) is just that kind of intense person, who can be a little awkward with social boundaries, when it comes to matter of the heart, but at first, it really can land as uncomfortably creepy.

That’s why I’m giving you these vague spoilers, so that you have a flavor for Yiyang as a character upfront, and hopefully, that will help you roll with his early-episode behavior a little better.

4. The OTP relationship is a slow-burn

Even though our male lead falls first, and hard, the OTP relationship is slow to develop.

I personally rather liked this, because it offers our would-be OTP time to get to know each other better, but I’m sure some folks might be impatient for more to happen, and faster.

Knowing to expect that this will be a slow burn helps, I think.

5. Secondary characters are.. secondary

What I mean is, this story belongs to our OTP, and aside from them, even the most prominent of the supporting characters don’t get a whole lot of attention.

Knowing to expect this, helps.

6. Some suspension of disbelief is required

From drama coincidences to how student are able to afford taxis on such a frequent basis, there is a base level of suspension of disbelief that is required, when watching this show.

Knowing to expect it, rather than trying to fight it, helps, I feel.

7. Wait to be in the right mood for this one

I do feel you need to be in a certain type of mood – thoughtful, attentive and unhurried – in order to potentially enjoy this one, so waiting for the right mood, instead of rushing into this one, feels like the better approach.

STUFF I LIKED

The early-episode subtext

This isn’t consistent across our entire show, but I did feel that subtext played a bigger part in the early episodes, and I really enjoyed how that was done.

In especially our first four episodes, it’s allll about the subtext.

This reminds me of that description of swans, where, on the surface, it looks like they’re gliding effortlessly on the water, but underneath, there’s a lot going on, as they paddle furiously to power that gliding.

Here, on the surface, at first glance, it might look like there’s not a lot happening, but if you look a little closer, you’re likely to find a lot of subtext, to power the story forward.

I personally find it quite thrilling to examine the various nuggets of information, and try to piece together a mental picture of our main characters, particularly for Yiyang, who’s a very reticent character.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-4. Often, I feel like not a lot is said in a particular moment, or maybe nothing is said at all, in a particular moment, but the character’s actions and body language is rich with meaning, for us to glean.

For example, there’s a scene where Yiyang sits down at a restaurant next to his friend Wu Wei (Dong Zi Fan), and Yin Guo sits across from him.

At this point, Yiyang is just acquaintances with Yin Guo, but we can tell already, that he has a deep interest in her; he just can’t.. express it much, since they’ve only just met.

Wu Wei, being a friendly dude, starts talking with Yin Guo, and after a few moments, you can see that Yiyang is possibly a little uncomfortable with Wu Wei jumping in and creating a potentially strong connection with Yin Guo, and he reaches across Wu Wei, to get the chopsticks from the holder on the table.

I took that to be Yiyang’s subtle way of cutting in front of Wu Wei, &/or holding Wu Wei back, if you know what I mean.

It’s not very obvious, and Wu Wei doesn’t have a strong reaction to it at all, so it’s very possible to miss it, but for me, I was eating this up, as Yiyang’s attempt to do something about a situation that he didn’t like so much, but had no real right to say or do anything about it.

E1-4. There’s a moment in episode 2 that I wanted to mention, and that is when Yiyang and Yin Guo are walking to the train station, in the snow.

It’s not very obvious, so I had to replay the scene to make sure I understood it right, but Yiyang walks briskly at first, and Yin Guo has to scurry a little, to keep up with him. And then, he notices when he looks over at her (we see his gaze in the direction of her legs), and then, he slows down enough, so that she’s walking at a speed that’s much more comfortable for her.

This is what I mean about paying attention to subtext; there’s a lot of meaning that’s built into the storytelling, that’s not within the dialogue. I kinda love it. 🤩

[END SPOILER]

The development of the OTP relationship

I will absolutely elaborate on this later in the review, but just wanted to mention upfront, that Show’s treatment of the OTP relationship was a highlight of my watch.

I liked that we could see Yiyang and Yin Guo grow as individuals in this relationship, even as we could also see the relationship maturing and growing stronger over time.

I also found the everyday romance accessible and relatable, and I liked that a lot.

Nice secondary characters

I actually really liked the fact that there are basically no nasty characters in this drama world.

In many shows, secondary characters are often used to drum up narrative tension, and that’s why rejected second leads are so often made out to be jealous, aggressive, and unable to take “No” for an answer.

And so, even though this show doesn’t spend a lot of time fleshing out our secondary characters, I still found it a breath of fresh air, to have them all be nice, reasonable people.

I even grew fond of some of them, like Wu Wei and Jiang Yang, just for being good-hearted and supportive of our OTP.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E13-16. I find it quite endearing, really, that all the people around our OTP – Yiyang’s friends in particular – are so accommodating, understanding and supportive of their relationship.

The way they just stand by and smile, when Yiyang and Yin Guo are being so lovey-dovey in their presence, and therefore making this rather awkward for everyone else, and I find that very goodhearted and indulgent of them, honestly.

In fact, on this note, I also wanted to say that it really strikes me, just how much these friends want Yiyang to be happy.

When Yiyang finally lets on, in episode 16, that he’d like to return to competitive snooker, Wu Wei legit breaks down in tears, because he is that relieved and that glad, to see Yiyang finally take a step towards reclaiming this part of his life that he’s cut ties with for so long.

I found that very moving, honestly, because really, how often does a someone cry on account of a friend? Not super often, I think.

And here Wu Wei is, a dude who isn’t the sort to cry easily, bursting into immediate tears, the moment he hears that Yiyang’s going to play again. Aw. He cares so, so much, doesn’t he? 🥲

I’m coming to realize that Wu Wei’s a really good egg, and y’know, I find him really likable. 🥰

[END SPOILER]

STUFF THAT WAS OK

Not-very-subtle external forces pushing the OTP development forward

Basically, in this drama world, anyone and everyone starts playing Cupid for our OTP, at the drop of a hat.

I was fine with this in our first few episodes, because given Yiyang’s and Yin Guo’s personalities, I could appreciate that without these external pushes, they might never actually have made a meaningful connection.

However, this soon started to feel old for me, once I hit episodes 5-8.

I mean, it’s nice that everyone seems to think they’re such a great match, but it’s also such a strong element, that it really started to feel unnatural to me. Not that it ever felt extremely natural in the first place, granted. 😅

Not my favorite thing in the show, but not a dealbreaker, certainly.

Ungainly exposition

I have to admit that sometimes, some of the exposition is really ungainly, in our story. 😅

Here’s an example from episode 5, to demonstrate what I mean.

[SPOILER ALERT]

I know that Show’s in a hurry to get me up to speed on things, like Yiyang’s background, but the way it does the exposition scenes in episode 5, is really far from elegant, in my opinion.

That scene where Yin Guo asks her coach over the phone about Yiyang, and that turns into a whole voice call conference with a whole bunch of people, each happily providing a bunch of information about Yiyang, feels really unnatural to my eyes, honestly.

Like, in what world do things work like that, and people operate like that? 😅

[END SPOILER]

Show trying to be cute

I have to admit that sometimes, I felt like Show was trying too hard to be cute.

We’d often get cutesy music scoring an otherwise fairly normal scene featuring our OTP, like the one above, and it felt like Show was going into overdrive, trying to convince me that our OTP is so cute together, &/or that we’re watching a particularly cute moment.

[SPOILER ALERT]

In episode 5 in particular, I felt like Show was trying too hard to be cute, with all the cutesy light music that tended to play.

I found that distracting, and a lot of the times, the moment didn’t actually feel light or cute, to be honest.

I didn’t appreciate this music during Yiyang and Yin Guo’s impromptu date, where Wu Wei and Xiaotian (Wang Jia Xuan) leave them, and they go looking for ice cream, and I think I would’ve liked it a lot better, if Show wasn’t trying to convince me, so hard, that this was a cute collection of scenes.

[END SPOILER]

I think it would have worked better if Show’s tone was a little more restrained, honestly.

Show’s presentation of snooker

For the record, I am a snooker noob, and came into this knowing next to nothing about the sport.

Because of this, there were times when I didn’t actually understand which parts of the snooker scenes were supposed to be exciting, like int he friendly game that we see in episodes 5-8.

I do think Show could have done a better job at this point, to make it clearer for snooker noobs like me.

At the same time, something shifted for me, over the course of my watch.

I don’t know if Show’s ended up doing a better job amping up the excitement, or if I just  became better attuned to what was going on; I started to find the snooker stuff more exciting than before, in Show’s second half.

During the tournament at the end of episode 20, I was actually somewhat glued to my screen, at the snooker stuff, and that’s saying A LOT. 😁

The taxi issue

I know there were viewers who found it distractingly unrealistic for our characters, who are on student budgets at the early stages of our story, take expensive taxis so often in Finland, instead of public transport.

It is admittedly incongruous for students to be splashing out on taxis so often, but I do think that Show makes it believable enough, from a narrative standpoint.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-8. Show does establish that Yiyang is not actually poor; he’s got more money and assets than the average student.

And, he’s clearly recklessly indulgent, when it comes to Yin Guo, whether that’s in terms of time, attention or money.

From making that long round-trip each week, just to see her for a bit, when he really has so many other things to do, to ordering her expensive dessert wine, just because that wine’s vintage is her birth year, Yiyang doesn’t seem to have the ability to hold back, when it comes to Yin Guo.

And that can be sweet, swoony or weirdly creepy, depending on where you’re sitting. 😅

[END SPOILER]

STUFF I LIKED LESS

When Show was cringey 😬

There were a couple of scenes that I found legitimately cringey, which I count against Show.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E5-8. Sometimes, the acting by extras is distractingly bad, and I almost have to laugh, because of how bad it is. 😅

Like during the friendly match between Meng Xiaodong and Yiyang, the small crowd that gathers to watch, is supposed to be super excited that this is THE Meng Xiaodong, in the flesh.

The expressions on their faces, though, are laughably fake. 😂

Kinda similarly, the enthusiasm that the extras show in that scene where Yiyang and Yin Guo walk through the streets and are bombarded by the enthusiasm that everyone has for the hockey game, is very unnatural. It made me laugh. 😅

E23. It almost feels like some higher-up, or investor, specified to the writers, that a certain scene had to be included, or else, and that’s how we ended up with legitimately the cringiest scene in this entire show. 😅

It’s that scene when the MCs single out Yiyang from the audience, right before Yin Guo’s finals match, and hound him to tell everyone about his love life, and whom he’s really there for, that day.

Gah. That was just ghastly, honestly.

I actually said out loud, “I hate this,” while all this was going on, and several times too, at that. 😅

What a grossly unprofessional way to host a competition, seriously. 🙄

The fact that Show presents this entire scene as being romantic instead of weirdly inappropriate, just makes it worse.

Like, excuse me? What weird parallel universe have I landed in, where this is considered appropriate and romantic, and how can I get out, please? 😅😅

I cringed through this entire scene, though I do think that Show had intended this for swoon. 🙈

[END SPOILER]

SPOTLIGHT ON CHARACTERS / RELATIONSHIPS

Wu Lei as Yiyang

I’ve grown a huge soft spot for Wu Lei, so he was honestly the main reason that this show was strong on my radar.

I have to admit, though, that despite my Wu Lei affection, I did struggle for a bit, with trying to wrap my brain around Yiyang as a character, because, as I mentioned earlier, he can come across as rather creepy &/or controlling at times.

I’m honestly glad that I let the Wu Lei Handsome tide me through the spots where I felt confused or bemused about Yiyang as a character, because as I got to know Yiyang better, I came to learn that he’s a really decent guy.

Many of my points of discomfort were resolved either by my improved understanding of the character, or by character growth, and I’d count that an overall win.

Also, for the record, I do think that Wu Lei does a great job of the role. 🤩

Here’s a collection of my thoughts around Yiyang as a character, over the course of my watch, as I tried to figure out what he was all about, and what made him tick.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-4. Yiyang’s very reticent, and doesn’t say a whole lot, but you can see from his gaze, his micro-expressions and his body language, that he has a good amount of hidden angst; some large burden that he’s still carrying, and can’t seem to put down.

You can also see, from all the same sources – his gaze, his micro-expressions, and his body language – that he is deeply interested in Yin Guo.

And so, I find myself watching him closely, and trying to piece together what his gaze / micro-expressions / body language is communicating, and this makes up a good chunk of my enjoyment, so far. 😁

E1-4. Yiyang’s actions with Yin Guo do come across in a creepy light, at first.

Literally, in the first few minutes, I found myself swooning at Wu Lei being all smoldery, with his side-glances at Yin Guo, at the Red Fish bar where they first meet, and then realizing that these actions actually can come off as really creepy. 😅

And, the only reason I knew that Yiyang wasn’t being creepy, is because he’s our male lead, who is supposed to be a good guy.

But y’know, I actually struggled to shake the creepy feeling, from a lot of Yiyang’s side-eyed smolder and his intensity, and his early efforts to be nice to Yin Guo, at Red Fish.

And then I realized that it was actually quite helpful to think of Yiyang as being a variation of Wu Lei’s character in Love Like The Galaxy (review here!), where he’s an intense, tortured soul, who’s deeply attracted to his female lead, and yet, can’t distill his actions of his tortured intensity.

I found that this helped a lot, as a filter through which to digest Yiyang’s actions and general behavior, so I hope it helps you guys too.

E1-4. I appreciate that Yiyang genuinely has a passion for Nine Ball.

I’d wondered why he’d seemed so poor yet so rich, at the same time.

I mean, on the one hand, he didn’t seem to have enough money to pay for meals, even though he works various odd jobs, but on the other hand, he’s got the restaurant owner talking about paying him back, in the tens of thousands.

It finally makes sense in episode 4, when we learn that Yiyang’s been working to pay off his purchase of the underground billiards center. Like, ahhh, I can see why he’d have so little liquidity, if everything’s tied up in real estate!

But why would he even do something like buy the billiards center, right, unless he had a true and deep passion for billiards? I do like that.

E5-8. I think it helps to think of Yiyang as a bundle of contradictions.

Rather being socially awkward per se, I’m coming to the conclusion that Yiyang’s more socially awkward when it comes to romantic interactions, specifically.

Although, he also does seem to have a natural flair for making romantic moves 🤭, like holding Yin Guo’s hand, and leaning in for a potential kiss, with all that smoldery intent. Swoon. 🫠

The point here, though, is that he seems to feel uncertain around how to approach Yin Guo, which is why we had those scenes of him trying to figure out how to look good in front of her.

With other people, it’s not that he’s uncertain; it’s more that he’s purposefully withdrawn. He doesn’t want to connect with a lot of these other people who keep showing up in his life, and that’s why he’s excusing himself from their presence, and being, well, kinda blunt and rude.

When he’s with people who aren’t his romantic interest, and who aren’t part of his professional snooker past, which seems to be a raw nerve, he seems pretty normal and able to connect – and that’s why he appears to be bros with everyone else.

When I break it down this way, his character makes a lot more sense to me, although I’m guessing that there may still be layers that I haven’t discovered or understood yet.

Like, as much as I personally enjoy the Wu Lei smolder, I’m still sometimes weirded out by the intensity in Yiyang’s gaze, and his unwavering focus on Yin Guo.

Honestly, if I remove my fangirl lens, it can come off as pretty creepy or invasive, sometimes, and I haven’t quite figured out how to process that in a way that makes sense to his character.

I can rationalize that this is part of his awkwardness when it comes to romantic relationships, because perhaps he doesn’t know how to hold himself back, in order to give the other person some space?

Sometimes, it’s in the way he doesn’t allow Yin Guo to make her own choices, but makes those choices for her, like when they go out to eat, and he picks what he thinks is best, from the menu.

He does check with her, most of the time, but it’s more of a confirmation check, rather than an actual consultation of what she’d most like, and I can see why Yin Guo, being rather uncertain of herself in this developing connection, would just go along with his suggestions, instead of telling him what she likes and doesn’t like.

I believe Yiyang means well in all of his interactions with Yin Guo, but sometimes, this element makes him come across as being in the more pushy, overbearing sort of space.

Also! Contextually, because Yin Guo’s due to join her team very soon, and will return to China after her competition is over, I can understand that Yiyang feels a sense of urgency, when it comes to courting Yin Guo while she’s there in Finland with him.

That could definitely add to the intensity with which he’s coming across, in the romantic pursuit department. 😁

E9-12. I’m still getting a sense for Yiyang as a character, and I feel like I’m getting to know him, almost like how Yin Guo’s getting to know him, if that makes sense?

I’m getting the sense that Yiyang’s a bit of a tortured soul who feels a lot of loneliness and isolation, particularly with the context that he’d lost both parents at a young age, and then even “lost” his younger brother, when a relative adopted his brother.

From what he tells Yin Guo, it seems that he’s grown up all alone, and probably held in all his need and desire for family; to feel like he had people – someone – to whom he belonged.

It feels like he’s finally feeling some sense of release, now that he has Yin Guo, and I feel it’s quite telling, that he says to her that she’s family to him.

It also seems to me like Yiyang’s lived in a way where he’s used to denying himself, and pushing himself, while giving what he can, for the sake of others.

The way he splashes out on food and taxis and, this set of episodes, even a hotel room, for Yin Guo, but eats awful hotdogs, and walks in the snow in order to take the bus so that he can save on train fare, tells me that.

And he does that too, with the players from his billiards hall; he pays their way to the competition, and coaches them for free, while absorbing the losses from the billiards hall on his own.

The way he’s so.. hard on himself, like this, really does make my heart go out to him.

I’m also getting more used to the intensity about him, as a character.

There are just some people who are more intense than others, and I do think that Yiyang is that kind of person.

He seems to take things very seriously, and that’s probably the reason for a lot of things in his life.

I’m guessing that it’s probably why he’s so hard on himself, and it’s probably why he’s kind of curt to his roommate, this set of episodes, when the roommate’s actions get in the way of Yin Guo being comfortable at the apartment, and it’s also probably why he’s taken his departure from his snooker community so hard, all these years.

I am guessing that after a while, intensity just became a way of life, for him?

And perhaps the reason he takes things so seriously, is because of how he’d had to grow up all alone? Like, he lost his childhood very young? I mean, he was parenting his younger brother while he was just in primary school himself.

I think that would definitely shape him in a significant way, and I’m pretty sure that we can attribute a lot of his personality quirks to this event in his life.

E9-12. I did get a thrill out of the early part of episode 9, with everyone in Yin Guo’s delegation being so in awe of Yiyang, when they see him demonstrate his skills (only in response to the guys challenging him to a game).

I do appreciate that Yin Guo’s coach explains to her (and us!) that the reason Yiyang is choosing not to play an actual game with them, but just has them place the red ball for him to pocket, 5o times, is because he’s being considerate of their morale, leading up to the competition.

I wouldn’t have picked up on that without that extra help, so thank you, Coach Chen. 😅

And I do like that this shows us that Yiyang’s pretty mature and considerate now, which is likely a far cry from how he’d used to be, when he’s been playing professionally, since he’d been much younger then.

It does sort of prep the way for Yiyang’s official return, because we can see that he’s already showing signs of maturity.

E13-16. Yiyang offering to host the two clubs to drinks at that hotel room is a big step, considering how he’s kept himself distant from both clubs since his retirement. It feels like this is part of him inching his way back into the circle, whether he’s cognizant of it or not?

The whole drinking thing also feels very much like a bonding thing, where bridges are mended, even though they may not talk specifically about the issues between them.

E13-16. Yiyang playing a tipsy round with Qingyan (Wang Run Ze) had me feeling a little conflicted.

On the one hand, it is admittedly rather thrilling to see that Yiyang is so precise and skillful, even when he’s tipsy enough that he’s not seeing very straight.

On the other hand, Yiyang using that to establish his territory and use that as his right to tell Qingyan to back off from Yin Guo, didn’t sit so right with me.

I get that this is what guys do, but it does feel like a rather outdated mindset. I would have much preferred if Yiyang had left Yin Guo to handle this matter on her own.

I suppose this offers some room for growth, and perhaps we’ll see Yiyang defer to Yin Guo to handle a similar situation later in our story.

In the meantime, I thought it would be a bit interesting to point out that while the subs say that Yiyang tells Qingyan, “Yin Guo’s mine,” the actual dialogue says, “Yin Guo is my wife.”

For the record, I don’t think that Yiyang means that he and Yin Guo are actually married.

For context, the culture that we’re seeing – and which, to my understanding, is commonly practiced in China – is that even among friends, they use the terms sister-in-law, when addressing a friend’s girlfriend.

So, earlier in our story, people have already been referring to and addressing Yin Guo as sister-in-law, the moment they realize that the connection between her and Yiyang is romantic.

With this as context, it makes sense that Yiyang’s using the same vernacular, when referring to Yin Guo as his girlfriend.

I just thought you’d find that interesting.

On the upside, I do appreciate that Yiyang is generous enough to give Qingyan snooker advice, so that he can maximize his potential, instead of being boxed in by Meng Xiaotian’s methods.

E13-16. It’s only afterwards, when Yiyang’s out in the snow by himself, that we see a more tortured sort of expression on his face, and he even sheds a tear or two.

I can only surmise that coming back into close proximity with the friends, comrades and the entire snooker world that he’d left behind, is causing more emotional upheaval in him, than we might have first thought, based on the casual, confident manner in which he carries himself with them.

E13-16. I appreciate that we get insight into what Yiyang really wants.

Even though he’s the perfect fit to take over Jiang Yang in terms of leading and taking care of the club, he wants to set up his own billiard hall, and train professional players in his own way.

I like the thought that Yiyang’s figured out the thing that would make him happiest, and is now working towards it.

The way Yiyang doesn’t tell Yin Guo about it, until she finds out on her own, does niggle at me.

With how much Yin Guo means to him, I’d imagined that he would have told her right away, before he took action to make it into a reality.

Instead, he only calls her when he’s literally waiting to enter the competition venue in Macau, and even then, he doesn’t tell her that he’s already started to work towards making his dream into a reality, only that he would like to play competitive snooker again.

I can only conclude that this is because Yiyang’s afraid to fail, and now that he and Yin Guo are in a relationship and working towards having a future together, he likely feels that he needs to be able to take care of her.

And probably, he doesn’t want to tell her about it, until he’s sure that there’s a chance that this will work out, because he doesn’t want to disappoint her, or appear like an unreliable potential provider.

Not that Yin Guo can’t earn her own prize money; clearly, she can.

I just think that this is part of Yiyang’s hardwiring; he needs to feel like he can take care of the important people in his life, the way he’d done his best, as a kid, to take care of his younger brother, after they’d lost their parents.

[END SPOILER]

Zhao Jin Mai as Yin Guo

I found myself really liking Yin Guo as a character, and I thought Zhao Jin Mai did a very nice job of making Yin Guo likable and charming, with bits of a stronger backbone than you might first expect, peeking through.

I’ve come across a fair number of comments criticizing Yin Guo as a character, and I have to say, I didn’t have the same struggle with Yin Guo as these other viewers had.

I will be explaining my view of Yin Guo – and thus, effectively defending her – in both this section, as well as the section where I focus on the OTP.

As I will explain in more detail later, I feel that the quirks that people noticed about her behavior, made sense to me narratively &/or culturally.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-4. So far, I really do like Yin Guo.

She seems like a sensible girl, right away, just from the way she doesn’t jump at the help that Yiyang offers, and is cautious in accepting anything from him – including that drink that he buys her at Red Fish.

While Yiyang deadpans that she seems worried, I’m over here saying to my screen that she’s absolutely doing the right thing, that she needs to be careful with strangers, particularly in a foreign land.

E5-8. One of the grumbles that I’ve heard, is about Yin Guo being way too innocent and naive about relationships to be believable.

I can see where folks are coming from, with Yin Guo hedging so much, around Yiyang’s advances, even though it’s clear to see that she likes him back.

At the same time, I’m still in the camp that can believe that she could be this naive and innocent about relationships.

From what we’ve been told, she’s spent a great deal of time training, and hasn’t really done much more than that, apart from study.

And, this set of episodes, we get to see the kind of mentor she has in her cousin, Xiaodong. It’s not hard to see that he’s been extremely strict with her, all the years that she’s spent under his tutelage.

Even while she’s in Finland for her competition, he’s been keeping tabs on her movements, and getting intel (from whom, though? I’m not sure) of how much focus she’s been putting on her training.

I can imagine that when she’s in China and he’s there in person to supervise her, she’d very likely have very little freedom to spend time with or even learn about boys.

In this sense, I can pitch Yin Gou as being mentally and emotionally very green, when it comes to romantic relationships.

That’s very likely why she’s so slow to really key in to Yiyang’s feelings towards her, and her own feelings towards him, I’m thinking.

Together, this could plausibly create the kind of situation that we’re seeing, this set of episodes, with Yiyang coming closer to Yin Guo in a very intent, intense sort of way, while Yin Guo gets skittish and embarrassed, in response.

E9-12. I think there are folks who find Yin Guo weirdly evasive when it comes to Yiyang’s skinship advances, but – so far anyway – I find her behavior quite understandable.

Yes, she is shy when it comes to skinship, particularly if it’s skinship in a public place, and I feel like this makes sense, given that this is her first relationship, and that she’s been very sheltered up to this point.

Also, there’s also a cultural element to it; I can vouch for the fact that public displays of affection, like kissing and snuggling, are generally not a very practiced Chinese thing.

Additionally, at this point in our story, this couple has only been a couple for a very short period of time, so they’re just getting to know each other, pretty much.

Putting that all together, I can understand why Yin Guo might feel shy or awkward about skinship with Yiyang, whether they’re in public, or in private.

E13-16. I do appreciate that when Yin Guo eventually finds out about Yiyang returning to competitive snooker, she doesn’t actually berate Yiyang for not telling her sooner.

In fact, she does ask questions, but those questions make me feel that she’s asking in order to sincerely understand him better, rather than to take him to task for not telling her sooner.

I thought this was gracious and mature of her. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Yiyang and Yin Guo

Even though I did have some struggles with understanding Yiyang as a character, as therefore, his approach to Yin Guo as well, I ended up enjoying the romance between them very, very well.

It’s a slow burn, yes, but it’s also so relatable and accessible, at the same time.

I find that I really like this slice-of-life approach to exploring romance; it gives us glimpses into the everyday ups and downs of romance, which, to me, makes all the sweet and tender moments feel extra real.

I also really like that we see how these two people grow in and into this relationship, such that they both become better people because of this relationship.

I felt that they were both better, individually and together, by the time we got to the finish line, and I thought that was very meaningful and aspirational, while still retaining that relatability and accessibility.

And yes, I did think that these two shared a very believable chemistry, which I very much enjoyed.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E1-4. So far, I think Show’s doing a nice job of demonstrating that Yin Guo is also very curious about and intrigued by Yiyang; I mean, who wouldn’t be, in her shoes, yes?

You’re in a foreign country and feeling a little lost and uncertain, and along comes this handsome stranger who seems intent on helping you, while consistently passing off his actions as being convenient, when he’s clearly going out of his way, on your account.

Of course she would be intrigued and curious.

E1-4. I’ve come to realize that Yiyang’s a little (or a lot) socially awkward, and really doesn’t quite know what to say to Yin Guo, as a general rule.

That made it much easier for me to process the things that he’d said to her that night, when they’d first met at Red Fish.

Like, ahhh, so he’s not being creepy; he’s just socially awkward – at least, around a girl he likes! 😅

I find their interactions endearingly awkward, this set of episodes.

As in, in the beginning, it’s less endearing, and more just pure awkwardness, because Yiyang’s being all borderline creepy with his intense gazes and intent niceness, but as we go further along, and Yin Guo starts to trust Yiyang, as she comes to realize that he’s a legitimately nice person, the awkwardness takes on shades of cute, which I find endearing.

I actually enjoy that they’re both kinda shy around each other; it kinda-sorta reminds me of Do You Like Brahms? (review here!), where we get a romance between two introverted individuals who are endearingly awkward around each other, particularly as they’re just getting to know each other.

This doesn’t have the exact same vibe as Brahms, certainly, but I do feel like it’s vaguely in the same ballpark, and I like that we’re not rushing through the shyness and uncertainty.

In fact, I really like that Yiyang’s clear that he has an interest in Yin Guo, and even asks Wu Wei a few things related to this, like how he comes across when it comes to girls, and even what he should wear, to look his best.

It’s really kinda dorky, and I find it very endearing.

Like, yes, here’s a genius nine-ball player with some tortured hidden angst that makes him appear all edgy and aloof to most people – and he’s asking his bestie how to be, around girls, because now, there’s someone he actually likes.

Cute! 🤭

E1-4. I like that Show appears to be taking things slow with developing the OTP relationship; I feel that the slow burn approach suits this story and this would-be couple very nicely.

Neither of them seems like the rushing sort, if you know what I mean.

It makes total sense to me that, for now at least, they seem to be more comfortable texting each other, than talking in person. This feels very true for introverts – or at least, that’s true for me, as an introvert. 😅

I also like the idea of them getting to know each other in an organic fashion, as they spend time in each other’s orbits.

E1-4. I do like that each time they cross paths, we see Yiyang peppering his actions with thoughtfulness towards Yin Guo, like the way he kept pulling her away from walking on the inside, nearer the buildings, because there’s a real risk of falling down the snow-covered steps leading down to the basements.

It’s moments like these, that make me think that Yiyang’s likely a person with deep thoughts.

After all, he thinks of the safety issue so naturally, and takes pains to make sure Yin Guo is walking on the safer side of the sidewalk, and to her (as well as any other casual observer), it’d just look like he preferred to walk on the inside.

Yet, there are reasons behind his actions; we just might not understand those reasons right away, is all.

E1-4. I like that Yiyang is often very honest in how he talks to Yin Guo.

Like when she tries to say that she isn’t hungry on the train, he asks her if she’s really planning to go home to have pizza – and then admits that he’d seen her message to Xiaotian on her phone, when she’d waved her phone at him.

I mean, he could have just played along and pretended that he hadn’t seen the message on her phone, but he opts to tell her, despite the awkwardness between them, and I like that.

E1-4. I don’t know anything about billiards, but I do like that this is being worked into the.. language of love? that is forming between Yiyang and Yin Guo.

First, there’s the scene where he first sees her play, at that billiard hall where he wins the match.

When he approaches her to talk, the words are a little stilted and awkward, but the way he’s fingering the billiard ball under his hand, is so.. gently sensuous?

In that same moment, the way Yin Guo is fingering the billiard ball under her hand, is tentative.

And then, the way he flicks the ball under his hand, so that it rolls directly towards the ball under her hand, and makes contact – and then stays there (versus rolling away), feels like rich subtext, about him wanting to reach out and make a connection with her.

This definitely part of the subtext thing I was talking about, and this little scene did give me a thrill, not gonna lie. 🤩

Secondly, there’s that other scene where Yin Guo invites him to play a round with her, and we see them trying to figure out how to carry themselves with the other person, in this context.

And, I do love that Yiyang’s first thought, is that it would likely be disrespectful of him, if he were to go easy on her, from a professional standpoint.

I also really appreciate that when Yin Guo later senses him holding back and not playing to his full strength, she calls him out on it, and tells him that she can afford to lose, and that he should play to his full ability; that if he doesn’t win that round, she’ll know that he threw the game.

I love this professionalism and mutual respect that they’re building in their interactions with each other.

They’re not just a guy and a girl who might be interested in each other; they’re also professionals and colleagues, and I like that they both want to acknowledge that.

I really like that they’re beginning to open up to each other, a little bit, by the time we end episode 4.

Sure, some of it is powered by liquid courage, since it’s only when Yin Guo’s a little tipsy from the liquor they had at dinner, that she asks him if he misses home.

But I appreciate the he’s candid with her, and tells her that he misses his grandfather. This feels like a rather personal tidbit, particularly for someone who’s as reticent and private as Yiyang, and I just lap up this piece of evidence, that she’s special to him. 🥰

E5-8. Even though I’d already seen the scene in the laundry room, where Yiyang expresses direct interest in pursuing Yin Guo romantically, I still found it quite swoony, watching it unfold on my screen.

I mean, it’s Wu Lei, being all intent and honest; I flail. 🫠🫠🫠

I also rather liked the scene where he sits in her room, and they talk a bit, while she dresses the cut on his shin.

There’s something quite.. relaxed and unguarded, about the way he’s just sitting there with his pants leg rolled up, and asking if she’d like to chat for a bit.

Ok, it’s also true that he gets all awkward after a while and hurriedly excuses himself, but the moments leading up that, were quite cozy, I thought.

Also, the flash of hope and realization in Yiyang, when he sees the coffee beans that Yin Guo’s keeping in that little dish on her table, is quite alluring.

This is his sign, that Yin Guo does feel something special for him, because otherwise why would she treasure those coffee beans the way she does, right?

His subsequent attempts to kiss her, are all very seductive, I feel, with so much intent smolder leaking out under what feels like his barely successful attempts to restrain himself.

At this point, no actual kissing has been done, but I swoon anyway. 🫠🤭

On another note, I wanted to make mention of the scene where Yiyang accidentally drinks vinegar, when he’s all flustered after hearing Xiao Tian say that there’s someone who’s grown up with Yin Guo, who seems close to becoming his brother-in-law.

It’s lost in translation, but the drinking vinegar thing is a punny sort of gag, because in Chinese, the phrase for “jealous” translates literally to “eat vinegar” ie, “吃醋” (chīcù).

And so, it seems like a very Freudian sort of slip, when Yiyang drinks vinegar, at the thought of Yin Guo possibly having a romantic connection with someone else. 😁

E9-12. I am really quite taken with the way Yiyang looks at Yin Guo, and I don’t just mean when he’s smoldering at her with intent.

There are many moments when he looks at her with an openness in his gaze, like he’s got his heart wide open to her, that I really love.

I’m getting the idea that Yin Guo’s the closest thing to family that Yiyang’s had in his life, in a very long time, and I get the sense that this is very precious and surreal to him.

I feel like when it comes to Yiyang’s feelings towards this new relationship, there’s hunger, wonder, and a sense of.. uncertainty, almost?

Like, there’s hunger, where he can’t seem to get enough of Yin Guo’s presence, and pushes himself to the point where he even falls sick, but he pushes himself anyway, because he just wants to be near her.

Of course, that hunger is also expressed in his obvious desire for kisses and skinship, which is quite, uh, alluring, from a fangirl perspective. 😅

Those gazes, where his gaze is clear and open, and tinged with wonder, make me feel like he’s in new territory and therefore it’s kinda unfamiliar, but it’s unfamiliar in a way that makes him happy.

The uncertainty I’m less sure of – like, am I reading too much into this? – but I feel like there might be a sense of uncertainty on Yiyang’s side, when it comes to how sure this happiness is in his grasp.

Like, is this happiness something that he could lose, because there are factors at play that he hasn’t quite figured out yet, like the fact that he’s been offered a chance to do his PhD, while Yin Guo’s set to return to China, once her competition is over.

Layered on top of that is his emotional baggage around how he’d left professional snooker in the first place.

This set of episodes, it becomes clear that Yiyang comes to the realization that if he wants to be serious about this relationship with Yin Guo – which he declares to her that he very much is – that he has to face his inner demons sooner rather than later, which is probably a very different thing than what he’d originally had in mind.

He doesn’t say so specifically, but the sense that I’ve been getting, is that he’d had no real intention of going back to the world of professional snooker that he’d left, not even as a casual, non-competing member of the community.

And that’s why he hedges and gives Yin Guo that evasive answer, when she asks if he’ll come to her competition.

I’d actually hoped that he would be upfront with her, and tell her the truth, that he’s not sure if he’ll be ready to see all these people again, but.. well, I guess that’s room for growth? 😅

E9-12. I do like that Yiyang clearly hasn’t forgotten about his many foiled attempts to kiss Yin Guo, in the last set of episodes.

Even though there’s been this whole delay made up of him taking her to the hotel to meet her team, and him getting challenged to show some snooker skills, he hasn’t forgotten one bit, that he would like to kiss Yin Guo, and soon.

That moment when he pulls Yin Guo aside to the rooftop, to continue where they’d been interrupted so many times, was quite sexy with intensity, I have to say. 🔥

The kiss itself is of the more static persuasion, yes, but I’m gonna say that the gentle intensity on Yiyang’s part makes up for it, and also, it makes narrative sense, since Yin Guo in particular is still shy about skinship, and this is the kiss that mints their relationship, meaning it’s her first kiss, ever.

And, even though Yin Guo subsequently evades quite a few attempts that Yiyang makes to kiss her, I do appreciate that this new couple does seem pretty comfortable with other forms of skinship like handholding and cuddles.

In fact, I thought that some of the skinship looked more natural than what I’d expect of a brand new couple where neither party has been in a relationship before. Not that I’m complaining; I’m easily rationalizing this as a natural connection between them. 😁

Also, in spite of Yin Guo’s skittishness around skinship, there are times when she reaches for Yiyang first, like when she rushes to meet him on the tram, so that she can go to the train station with him, and when she goes to surprise him, when he doesn’t make it down to see her as originally promised.

I’d originally worried that Yin Guo would be a burden on Yiyang’s already heavy schedule, since she’s dropping in on him without warning, but he looks so pleased and relieved to see her -the way he sinks into her, when he hugs her 🥲 – that I’m ready to believe that it’s good for him to spend time with her.

Plus, he’s sick, and I like the idea of her being there to make sure he doesn’t push himself too hard, and I also like that she knows that he’s sick, because he would’ve kept it to himself otherwise.

I also rather like that Yin Guo’s starting to exert girlfriend rights, a little bit, the way she tells him not to spend so much money – which I think is a valid point, since he’s been routinely splashing out on her since the moment they met, and it’s not like he’s rolling in money.

Of course, I also like all the little moments when the two of them are just shyly sinking into the small blissful moments of togetherness, like just sitting side by side holding hands in a taxi.

It occurs to me that Yiyang is written as a very loving boyfriend.

Today someone was talking to me about the 5 love languages, and I suddenly realized that Yiyang shows love to Yin Guo, in all of the 5 love languages.

Acts of service. Gifts. Touch. Words of affirmation. Quality time.

We see him doing them all, this set of episodes, and I’m like, wow, he’s a pretty darn wonderful boyfriend, isn’t he? 😅

One of the things that he did which really struck me as very sweet, was to go out in the morning to buy everything that Yin Guo would need for a morning wash-up routine, like a toothbrush and face towel, and then sterilize them with hot water and lay them out nicely, so that they’d be ready for her, whenever she needed them.

I thought that was seriously sweet, because it hadn’t really occurred to me that Yin Guo would need these things, even though, now, on hindsight, it’s like, duh, of course she’d need them. 🙈😅

I like that in visiting him, Yin Guo gets to know more about him and his world.

It’s good that she learns about the billiards hall being his, and I like that he’s honest in telling her how the financials are doing.

Yes, he hasn’t told her about his emotional angst and baggage around how he’d left his pro snooker career, but I like that he is ready to tell her just about everything else, and even sends her screenshots of his bank account statement, so that she can see that he’s not doing so terribly, so that she won’t worry.

And, I also like that he tells her about losing his parents, and how he’d eventually “lost” his younger brother too, when Bro had gotten adopted.

Yin Guo’s instinct to just hug him, because her heart hurts for him, and she wants to comfort him, is sweet, and I like that Yiyang is no longer alone. 🥲

Their relationship is really just budding now, and is therefore technically brand new, but it does seem like it’s starting off on a pretty healthy foot, and I do like that.

On a random tangent, I just wanted to say that that shirtless scene of Wu Lei was completely gratuitous.

Like, sure, he’s letting Yin Guo take a nap while he hangs out in the hotel room. But why would he take his t-shirt off and just sit there, shirtless?? 😂

I’m not complaining at the shirtless, mind you; I’m just like, what the heck, it’s winter and Yin Guo’s under some thick covers, and he’s sitting there without his shirt..? The temperature zones don’t seem to match up? 😂

Also. I don’t blame Yin Guo for being startled, to see Yiyang all shirtless in her room, when she wakes up.

Can’t blame her too much for being skittish, when she’s this new to romance, and her new boyfriend is not only super intense, but also seems to enjoy hanging out without his shirt on. 😂😂

ALSO. All the comments about Yin Guo being so evasive of skinship had made me think that Yin Guo would be really withholding, in terms of showing affection to Yiyang, but that isn’t the case.

There’s the way she reaches to hug him, when they’re saying goodbye at the train station, and then there’s the way she winds down the window of the taxi, so that she can reach out and kiss him, before she leaves.

I think that’s pretty good progress for our girl Yin Guo, yes? Particularly since, at this point, they’ve literally only been dating for only 5 days.

In the end, I’m glad that Yiyang overcomes his emotional hurdle, and goes to the competition venue to see Yin Guo.

Of course, in typical Yiyang fashion, he’s brief with the greetings to everyone else, and homes in on Yin Guo, with eyes only for her.

Aw. I’m glad for the both of them, because Yin Guo gets her wish, that Yiyang will be there to see her play, and Yiyang is taking a clear step towards reconciling himself with his past, which can only be a good thing.

E13-16. I do like the idea of Yiyang and Yin Guo becoming stronger together as a couple, and I also like the thought that this relationship is actually the catalyst for some personal developments too.

Mainly, I’m thinking of Yiyang going to the competition venue for the sake of watching Yin Guo compete, even though he’s famously stayed away from live competitions for all the years that he’s been retired.

I do very much appreciate his wholehearted support of Yin Guo at the competition; there’s no trace of envy about him, even though it’s true that he misses competing.

Instead, he is wholly focused on Yin Guo, and on cheering her on; you can see that he’s watching every little move around that table like a hawk, and you can also see that his applause and cheers and 100% genuine and untainted.

In fact, he’s sitting there, mentally reminding her to enjoy it to the fullest, because this will be her career for years to come. 🥲

That’s very, very lovely to witness, and I liked that a lot.

Afterwards, I do like how Yin Guo tells Yiyang that she’s dedicating this competition to him; that speaks to how important he is, to her.

E13-16. I’d honestly been a little worried that Yin Guo would be upset that Yiyang missed the finals, from being passed out drunk, but she isn’t at all, and I have to credit her for being more mature than I’d first imagined.

I do think that hearing the details from Wu Wei and Jiang Yang, of how Yiyang had ended up retiring, back in the day, and also, of all the ways that Yiyang’s bent over backwards to do nice things for her, helps to create that extra layer of understanding and compassion.

I’m glad, actually, that he feels able to tell her a little bit about it, when he wakes up; that being with the people he’d left behind, had brought back a lot of memories.

Also. The way Yiyang snuggles up to her, in bed, and nuzzles her hair, while murmuring that he’d like to hear what she has to say, about what they did while he was drunk, is so intimate and cozy that I feel like my fangirl heart is about to implode from the spazz. 🔥😅

From this point onward, all the way to the point where Yin Guo returns to China, we get into deep OTP mode, with Yiyang and Yin Guo spending every waking moment together, and even taking a trip out to that island, to see the sunrise.

It’s like a romantic getaway on steriods, with Yiyang bringing snow down from the mountain top, so that Yin Guo can play with the snow by the beach, and Yiyang even renting that cabin, just so that Yin Guo can get some sleep, before they head out to see the sunrise.

It literally feels like they’re trying to top up their couple time reserves while they still can, because they will be apart for a fair while, once she leaves and returns to China.

Significantly, Yiyang does make that love confession while they’re star-gazing, and tells Yin Guo that he will return to China, for her sake; that he will do the hard things, for them.

It’s really quite touching, especially when you consider what a big step this is for Yiyang, who’s spent all this time withdrawn from everything to do with competitive snooker in China. 🥲

The heavy cloud that hangs over them once they return to the apartment to allow Yin Guo to pack her things, so that she can get on her return flight to China, does feel a little dramatic, as does the desperation in both of them, as they say goodbye.

However, I’d say that this is very true to life, in that, when you’re in the throes of romance and are so used to being in the same place as your significant other, it can and does feel like the end of the world, almost, when you’re anticipating seperation.

Like, you can’t even imagine not breathing the same air as this person, so you approach the impending separation with a lot of drama and tears.

So, on the one hand, a part of me thinks, wow, these two sure are being rather over-dramatic about this; they’ll be together again soon enough.

But on the other hand, another part of me is saying, this is totally understandable; have some empathy – you’ve been there before. 😅

E13-16. I’m starting to get the idea that Yiyang just wants to show Yin Guo the best parts of himself, and would rather let her have undisturbed peace of mind, than tell her what he’s up to.

He’d rather give her a happy surprise, than tell her early, and risk disappointing her.

Maybe that’s why he didn’t tell her about him signing up for competitions, until after she found out about his Macau competition.

And maybe that’s why he doesn’t tell her either, when he goes back to China, in order to celebrate her birthday with her?

In any case, I’m glad that we’ve got our OTP in the same place again, coz I do like it when they are together, versus when they are apart. 🥲

E17-20. Show’s slice-of-life approach applies as much to the angst, as it does to the sweet, melty moments, and we see that play out for Yiyang and Yin Guo, both in terms of having to navigate a long-distance relationship, as well as having to re-adjust to being in the same place, and the challenges that come alongside.

Also, I wanted to say that, in Yin Guo’s defense, she’s not as skittish and awkward about skinship as I’d been led to believe, after seeing so many comments about how unrealistic her behavior is.

Additionally, I’m feeling like the comments about this show being all about the male lead doing everything for the female lead (ie, akin to Marry My Husband), aren’t really holding true – at least from my point of view.

On the contrary, I find that Yin Guo’s showing quite clearly, that she does have her own aspirations and goals, and that she does want to contribute to this relationship, and that she does, indeed, want more skinship with Yiyang.

I just.. don’t really know where these comments are coming from, honestly. 😅

Let’s take, for example, when Yiyang comes to see her on her birthday.

After the initial cuddles, they do start talking, a bit, about how they both felt kind of scared to see each other again, because they both were afraid that the other person wouldn’t feel the same way about them anymore, after so much time apart.

It’s Yin Guo who points out that Yiyang had only held her for a short while, when he’d first greeted her.

I mean, what else am I supposed to take away from this, but that our girl Yin Guo actually wants more skinship with Yiyang, yes?

She wants him to hold her more, and for longer, and is brave enough to tell him so. I think that’s pretty great, honestly.

Not only that, upon revisiting the scene, I can’t help but notice that it’s Yin Guo who rushes into his arms, meaning, she’s the one who initiates the first reunion hug, and not the other way around.

On a different note, and still in Yin Guo’s defense, I also can’t help but notice that she’s doing what she can, to take care of Yiyang, and help him.

Like the way she insists that he take a nap, and goes to pick up the food delivery on his behalf, and then goes to the pharmacy to get the plasters that she feels would help his sore shoulder feel better.

And then there’s also how she insists on showing him the balance in her bank account, not to show off or anything, but to give him the assurance that he can turn to her for help, if he runs into financial trouble, because she knows that his financial burden is heavy.

I feel that in her own way, she’s doing whatever she can, to contribute to the stability in this relationship, and I just want to give her credit for that, especially given all the flak that I’ve seen Yin Guo get, as a character.

Again on the topic of skinship, I also noticed that the various times that Yin Guo shies away from Yiyang’s attempts to kiss her, it’s always because she doesn’t want other people to see them kissing, not because she doesn’t want to kiss him.

She kisses him back just fine, in the hotel room, when he visits for her birthday. It’s at other times, like in the car, when she thinks other people might see, or at his new quarters, when she says the door isn’t locked and someone might walk in, that she demurs.

I think this says more about her sense of social decorum, than about her attitude towards skinship with Yiyang.

And like I’ve mentioned before, it’s not really a done thing, in Chinese culture, to be all kissy-huggy public, so the fact that we do see our OTP being quite cozy, even in front of their friends (like at the airport), already says a lot about how strongly they feel about each other, I think. 🥲

ALSO. What about that time in episode 19, when they’re snuggling in bed, and when Yiyang says it’s time to get up, she burrows harder into his arms, saying that she doesn’t want to; she wants to hug him some more.

I know I’m being a little fixated on this, but I feel like I just have to speak up for Yin Guo, a little bit, to address all the people who’ve been saying that she is overly skittish about skinship with Yiyang.

It seems to me that she’s doing just fine, on that front.

I find it very true-to-life, that a long-distance couple, especially a young couple like Yiyang and Yin Guo, who went long-distance so soon after becoming a couple, would feel a sense of strange distance, upon being together in person again, after a period of time.

I really like the fact that Show highlights this nuance, because this is so relatable, I feel, for those of us who’ve experienced what a long-distance relationship is like.

The tearful goodbye, because it’s so hard to part again, so soon after being reunited, is also true-to-life, I feel, and the part of my brain that had felt that these two were being a bit over-dramatic the first time they’d parted, is eating its words. 😅

E17-20. I’m glad that Show gives us this detailed glimpse of what their long-distance relationship is like, with time zones and training and competitions getting in the way of them being more connected.

I’m also glad that Show then goes right for the time skip, because I much prefer them being in the same place, and don’t really like the idea of spending lots of screen time on the long-distance aspect of their relationship.

The big hurdle for their relationship – Yin Guo’s mom’s disapproval of Yiyang – might well feel exaggerated to come viewers, but I can buy the idea that Mom is just that kind of person, where, once she’s made up her mind about someone, it’s not easy for her to change it.

And while some folks have remarked that Yiyang’s “scandal” around his retirement is too flimsy for the kind of drama that Show is working around it, I can buy the idea that for people in the circle, it really is that big of a deal.

I can also buy the idea that Mom feels it’s more a matter of principle and character, in how Yiyang had conducted himself in the face of accusations, than about whether he had actually been guilty of throwing games for money.

The whole scene at the restaurant, where Yiyang offers tea to Yin Guo’s mom, was hard to watch; it’s pretty humiliating for him, honestly, and he must have felt pretty terrible, receiving the cold shoulder even after putting aside his pride like that.

I can see why he would be in such a low mood subsequently, and I can also see why he’d feel extra jealous at the sight of Qingyan fitting right in, and taking food for Yin Guo, where he’d been so clearly rejected. 💔

And so, I can why he’d be extra sensitive, when Yin Guo goes to seek him out, and say sarcastic things that he didn’t really mean.

Of course, I can also understand why Yin Guo would feel hurt, that he would be sarcastic towards her, and insinuate that she’s just like her Mom – which is how our OTP encounters their first real tiff.

Again, I appreciate how this all feels very realistic and relatable; it really does feel horrible to fall out with the person whom you love, especially for the first time.

Seeing both Yin Guo and Yiyang be out of sorts, but feel unable to reach out to mend bridges with the other person, felt very relatable to me.

Yiyang waiting too long to reach out, and Yin Guo leaving early in a fit of pique, also feels relatable and true to life, and I’m just glad that Yin Guo gains a sense of perspective from Mr. Bus Driver, and decides to take an extra day off, and go seek out Yiyang instead.

Importantly, our OTP makes up, and also importantly, I like that this time, it’s Yiyang who pulls Yin Guo to himself.

After noticing that it had been Yin Guo to run into his arms in episode episode 17, this details feels like it gives a nice sense of balance.

I suppose this is as good a time as any, to mention that I really like the way Yiyang talks to Yin Guo, as a general rule. He’s got this particular note of tenderness in his voice, whenever he talks to her, that I really, really like.

It makes the idea of everyday romance come alive for me, I think, because he’s tender towards her, in the everyday things. 🥲🥰

ALSO. It’s actually really cute that Yiyang chooses the word “fruitlet” to be the needle on his compass necklace.

I know Show explains it, but just in case you found it confusing, here it is again: Yin Guo’s nickname is “little Guo” and “Guo” (果) means “fruit” – and so “fruitlet” is “little fruit” which is Yin Guo. 😁

Additionally, there’s something that’s lost in translation in this conversation, which I thought you guys would like to know.

And that is, the part where the shop owner asks Yiyang if “Fruitlet” is his daughter.

The subs say that Yiyang replies that it’s not for his daughter, but for his wife.

What the dialogue really says, is, “Daughter doesn’t have this privilege, only wife does.” – which indicates that to Yiyang, Yin Guo is more important to him than any daughter that they might have.

Isn’t that quite melty? 🥲

E21-24. One of the things that I find myself enjoying about this OTP, is how supportive they are, of each other’s careers, and how much they believe in the other person, whether it has to do with skill and talent, or love and loyalty.

On that note, I also rather enjoy the fact that both Yiyang and Yin Guo are so well-regarded in their field; they’re both champions in their own right, and it really makes them feel like a golden couple, honestly.

Given how hard they’ve worked, over such a long period of time, it really does feel well-deserved.

This set of episodes, I like how Yin Guo keeps close tabs on Yiyang’s competition, even as she’s in the midst of her preparation for her own competition.

One of the things that strikes me, this pair of episodes, is how acutely Yin Guo feels for Yiyang.

Like, when she has to miss his finals and doesn’t know yet whether he’s won the China Open or not, she’s on such tenterhooks when checking her phone, and then, when she sees the photo of the trophy that Yiyang sends her, she can’t stop crying a few happy tears.

Aw. That’s sweet, isn’t it?

We see this again, later on in these episodes, when she’s so deeply affected by Master’s passing (sniffle 😢) that you’d never guess, from her sadness and tears, that she’d only ever met him once, so briefly, on a video call.

And the reason for this, is because of how special Master always will be, to Yiyang. That is touching. 🥲

It’s also really quite swoony how Yiyang drops everything right after winning the World Champion title, so that he can accompany Yin Guo to Hull, for her competition.

The way Yiyang gets recognized now, because he’s been snooker’s fast-rising star, gives me a bit of a thrill; it feels like he’s come so, so far, in the last couple of years. 🥲

And, one of the most charming things about Yiyang, is how lightly he seems to hold onto his fame and success.

The way he casually asks his friends to take the trophy back with them for him, while he just hops over the railing to saunter out of the arena, is quite telling, to me.

If this trophy had been more precious and important to him, I’m pretty sure he would want to hold onto it himself, or at least be more careful and deliberate, in arranging its transport.

Instead, he’s just casually leaving it behind, like he’s got more important things to do. It’s.. kinda cool, honestly. 🤩

I’m quite tickled at the fact that Yiyang’s so famous now, that even wearing a mask doesn’t stop people from recognizing him and taking photos of him.

Him trying to go incognito on the plane is quite funny to me, coz even the air stewardesses are fangirling over him, and hoping to take photos with him.

That moment, when Yin Guo teases him about it, and he retaliates by grabbing her wrist and saying, “I’m going to kiss you now,” with that signature intensity in his eyes, made me gasp and flail a little bit, can’t lie.

Sexy and audacious. 🔥

It’s also pretty darn swoony how unmoved Yiyang is, at the fangirl attention as well. He clearly only has eyes for Yin Guo, and I just melt in response. 🫠 🥰

I appreciate the callback that Show does, to Yin Guo’s “My Queen” soundbite, from her first competition, because this time, we hear it explained from Yiyang’s perspective.

I really like how he describes it as Yin Guo wanting to share her most precious thing, and her most glorious moment with him, regardless of the cameras, nor any thought to the future.

That’s such a lovely way of looking at it, and I can see why Yin Guo is so precious to him. 🥲 And, I’m even more moved at how far they’ve come, both as individuals, and as a couple.

Speaking of which, at the risk of sounding like I’m beating a dead horse, I couldn’t help but notice that Yin Guo’s initiating skinship, this set of episodes, and not just once.

There’s the kiss on the plane, and the cozytimes at the apartment (we do not know if there were actual sexytimes, though I do think Show is indicating that there were), and then, we even have her willing to kiss him, in front of An’an.

Those are some huge steps forward for our girl Yin Guo, and I just wanted to put this down for the record, in her defense. 🥲

I also like that we see Yin Guo really settling into her own, with Yiyang.

Like the way she nudges him to talk to her about his thoughts about taking over Dongxin City.

At first, he doesn’t want to talk about it, and neither will he talk about it with anyone else, really, but she manages to cajole him into spilling his honest thoughts to her, and I think that’s great.

He needs someone in his life like that, whom he feels comfortable confiding in, and who knows how much to press him, and how much to leave him alone.

Importantly, I like how Yin Guo tells Yiyang so clearly, that she will support him regardless of what he chooses, in the end.

That’s the kind of unconditional support and love that gives life, and I love that Yiyang has that, in Yin Guo.

E21-24. It is admittedly a nice touch, that Yiyang takes Yin Guo back to the Red Fish bar, where they talk about the first time that they’d met, and what he’d been thinking, the first time he saw her through the window.

[END SPOILER]

Wang Xing Yue as Meng Xiaodong

I have to admit, while watching this show, I’d found Meng Xiaodong’s characterization a little unnatural, for a while.

One moment he’d be very stern, prickly &/or aloof, and another, he’d be kind and supportive.

I honestly didn’t know what to make of it, and was quite ready to call Xiaodong a conveniently whiplashy character; whatever Show needed him to be, in order to nudge our story forward, he would be – never mind if it’s cohesive characterization or not. 😅

However! I found myself growing quite fond of him as I got deeper into my watch, and I realized belatedly, that his bark is just a lot fiercer and more intimidating, than his bite, and that he’s a good egg, at heart.

[SPOILER ALERT]

E13-16. I really do appreciate Meng Xiaodong’s attitude towards Yiyang’s return to snooker.

The way he reflexively asks to be registered in the same competition, but then takes it back, and asks instead, to be booked a ticket, so that he can watch the competition, says a lot, I think.

First, that he really, really, deeply, wants to play against Yiyang, because, as he says to Yin Guo later in the episode, he respects Yiyang as a worthy opponent.

Second, that he understands that it might be too soon, and it would be best to give Yiyang the space to work his way back first. And yet, he is excited enough about it, and values it enough, to want to fly to Macau, to witness Yiyang’s comeback for himself. 🥲

It’s really quite touching, I feel.

E17-20. I’m starting to really grow rather fond of Xiaodong, because he’s turning out to be a surprisingly supportive wingman.

The way he creates an excuse and cover for Yin Guo, so that she can spend a few more precious hours with Yiyang, before he has to board his flight, is so nice, really.

He’s really bending over backwards, in order to help this couple, and he’s earning big brownie points from me, for this. 🥲

E17-20. Xiaodong’s clearly still in love with Lin Lin (Ding Xiao Ying), and wants to reconcile with her, and because he’s being quite the dork about it, I find myself rooting for him to succeed, and win her heart, all over again.

[END SPOILER]

The bond between Yiyang, Jiang Yang and Xiaodong

When we begin our story, there’s a good amount of tension between Yiyang, Xiaodong and Jiang Yang; they barely speak to one another, and when they do, the tone is terse and curt.

I’m just really pleased with how Show slowly softens this tension and eventually shifts things, such that the bond between these three men, becomes stronger, more cordial, and more supportive, as we get deeper into our story.

I love the by the time we reach our finale, these three are more like friendly comrades who respect one another, than arch rivals. 🥰

[SPOILER ALERT]

E17-20. I really do appreciate the kind of connection that’s formed between Yiyang and Xiaodong.

There’s a lot of mutual respect and regard in there, born of the fact that they see each other as worthy rivals.

When Yiyang wins with that perfect score, Xiaodong doesn’t even seem to feel disappointed that he’d lost; he seems to just appreciate the fact that Yiyang had played a beautiful game.

That’s so lovely, honestly. 🥲

[END SPOILER]

Yiyang and Master [SPOILERS]

E17-20. I love-love-LOVE that moment when Yiyang spots his master in the audience, and, after a slightly stricken pause, bows deep and long, as if the entire world around them has disappeared, and it’s just them two, in this moment, as Yiyang offers the most heartfelt acknowledgment of his master, that he can muster.

Tears came to my eyes, watching this moment, no lie. 🥲

It was really great to see the joy on Master’s face, as he watched Yiyang in action, after so many years.

And it was even greater, to see Yiyang finally approach Master, one-on-one, and say that he’d take Master home.

The warmth with which Yiyang is received is really lovely to see, and I really feel like Yiyang’s come home, to the place where he belongs. 🥲

E21-24. I thought everything to do with Yiyang and Master, was very well done.

I loved that Yiyang’s return is treated as a literal homecoming, where he’s a son, finally back among family. 🥲

It’s really heartwarming to me, that Master and his family have absorbed all of Master’s disciples, so much so that they really do feel like – and even function like – a real blood-related family.

From the way Jiang Yang and Yiyang address Master’s daughter as “姐” (Jiě, meaning elder sister), to the way they joke about how the youngest will always be the favorite, to how they’ve kept Yiyang’s room for him, all these past 13 years that he’s been away, it’s all so familial and heartwarming.

Plus, there’s also the flashback, where we see that Master had been serious about taking care of Yidong as well, once he’d realized that Yiyang had a younger brother.

It’s so touching, really, that the bonds between these people, are as strong as, if not stronger, than a real family. 🥲

I love-love-love that moment when Master’s wife (er, Mrs. Master? I mean, that’s the literal meaning of 师娘 (Shīniáng), which is what Yiyang and Jiang Yang call her 😅) broaches the subject of Master and her standing in as Yiyang’s parents, when it comes to his eventual marriage to Yin Guo.

Augh. That just hit me in the heart, so much, particularly with how gentle and loving she is, when she makes that suggestion, amid notes of tentativeness, because she knows that his parents must be a bit of a sore topic, for him.

The feeeels. 🥲

It made me so, so glad that Yiyang has such good people on his side, who want to dote on him like they would a real son.

I was all, “YESSS. Stand in as his parents, you ARE his parents!” Sniffle. 🥲

And, isn’t it so sweet of Master, to then call Yin Guo’s mom the very next day, and say all those nice things about Yiyang, and tell her that he’s all mature now, and ask her to give Yiyang a chance to start over.

There’s just so much earnestness and heart in Master’s face, as he makes that phone call, and I also can’t help but notice the joy that he’s showing, in the fact that he’s even in this position to make this phone call, because his youngest is finally back home where he belongs. 🥲

I’m gutted that we lose Master, this set of episodes; I’d been convinced that Yiyang and Master would have many more good days to share, now that they’d finally been reunited. 💔😭

Sigh; ’twas not to be.

Y’know, I’d had a tiny niggling feeling about the possibility of Master’s passing, with the way Show was presenting him as being so happy and cheerful and content.

I think that’s the consolation, y’know?

That Master had had the opportunity to be reunited with his precious Yiyang, the baby / prodigal son whom he’d been waiting for, for so long, and that he’d gotten to witness Yiyang winning the championship, and that they’d made precious memories together, in the time that they did have.

My gut tells me that Master had been content, as he’d passed, and that’s a comfort for sure. 🥲

I must say, Wu Lei’s portrayal of Yiyang’s grief at Master’s passing, is quite arresting and haunting, at the same time.

The scene in the plane where he can’t hold in his tears, and cries in the bathroom is so full of pathos. I don’t know how Wu Lei does it, but when Yiyang comes out of the bathroom, it literally looks like his face is puffy and his nasal passages are stuffy, from all the crying.

And then, the scene where Yiyang kowtows before Master’s memorial tablet, is completely arresting.

The way the tears continue to fall from his eyes, even as he prostrates himself, forehead to the floor; the tension in his entire body, as he tries to deal with the magnitude of the grief; the veins in his temple looking like they’re about to pop, from the effort of holding up against the grief.

Augh. It all hits me right in the heart, and I feel so sorry, for our Yiyang. He’s losing more than a coach; he’s losing a parent. 😭

I’m comforted, of course, that Yiyang is still surrounded by people who love him, and I’m glad that Jiang Yang is there to set him free from any guilt that Yiyang might feel towards Master.

In the end, it feels fitting, that Yiyang would finally feel ready to take over Dongxin City.

First of all, his concerns that this would not be doing right by Jiang Yang, are unfounded, and I hope and believe, that Jiang Yang sets him right on that count.

More importantly, it feels like the perfect way to honor Master and the legacy that he’s left behind.

And it’s my hope that Yiyang finds a way to carry on Master’s legacy, while still pursuing his own dream. 🥲

SPOTLIGHT ON THE PENULTIMATE EPISODES [SPOILERS]

E25-28. The fact that I’m feeling rather wistful, as I get to the end of my watch, is a pretty definitive sign that Show’s really working for me.

I feel that I’m going to miss this drama world; not just the characters, who have all really grown on me, but even the snooker stuff as well – which is a pretty big deal for me, considering how, in the earlier part of my watch, I’d talked about Show not making the snooker stuff exciting enough.

Honestly, it was kinda hard to see Yiyang have to push himself through his grief, and take on the responsibilities of leading Dongxin City.

It feels like there’s so much weight thrust on his shoulders, and right at a time when he should be given time to grieve. 💔

I’m totally with Yin Guo, when she says that she can’t bear to force him to socialize, because he’s going through such a tough time in his life.

It feels particularly hard to see Yiyang not even give himself enough time to sleep or eat properly, while taking meetings and answering questions about the future of Dongxin City.

While I do question the lack of compassion from the coaches, who start a meeting with him at midnight, I do also take the point, that Yiyang is rising to the occasion, and conducting himself with the gravitas that becomes a leader.

He’s respectful and polite to his elders, but he’s also bold and firm, when it comes to sharing his vision for the future of Dongxin City, and how he sees them contributing to the snooker scene in China, as a whole.

I’m also quite relieved to see that Yiyang isn’t letting go of his independent billiards hall at all; he’s just going to oversee it from afar, while focusing his energies directly on the needs of Dongxin City.

Through it all, I really appreciate Yin Guo’s patience, as Yiyang gives all of his energy to what feels like everything but their relationship, and her empathy and compassion for Yiyang.

I like that you can tell that she sincerely cares for him, and worries about his wellbeing, and even though she clearly misses him, she doesn’t put pressure on him to spend time with her.

She’s willing to stand by the sidelines and watch over him as needed, and I feel like this is a sign of a very healthy relationship.

I love that beat where he lies down to take a nap on her lap in his office, and ends up sleeping the entire day; it makes me feel that he feels really safe and settled, with Yin Guo by his side, and that’s why he’s able to let everything go and just rest, with her next to him. 🥲

I also really like that beat in the car, when Yiyang apologizes for not being able to spend time with Yin Guo, these days.

I like that Yin Guo’s reply, is, it’s not that she wants Yiyang to be with her; she’d actually like to be there for him, but just doesn’t know how to comfort him.

I’m not certain that the difference is as distinct in English, but there’s a distinction in Chinese, between the idea of him spending time with her (and therefore, the idea is that he’s coming to her), and her spending time with him (and therefore, the idea is that she’s coming to him, and being with him, in his space).

I thought that was a nice touch.

And, I like the very fact that they talk about this, and that Yiyang tells Yin Guo, sincerely, that she doesn’t need to say anything; it’s enough for him, that she’s there. 🥲

I do also love how this results in them staying on the line with each other, through the night, even while they’re asleep.

It really brings out that idea, that just being connected to each other, is a source of comfort in itself, and I like the intimacy of Yin Guo whispering “Good night” to Yiyang before she goes to sleep, and then immediately calling out his name, once she wakes up.

The fact that he’s right there, lying on his side, watching his phone, answering her, “You’re awake?,” feels so cozy, honestly.

It really gives me the feeling that they’re together; the only thing that’s missing, is actually having them in the same room. 🥰

ALSO. I really appreciate that when Yin Guo thinks that she might be pregnant (ahhh, thank you Show, for confirming that there were, indeed, sexytimes 🤭), she tells Yiyang about it, instead of trying to handle it on her own.

Again, a sign of a healthy relationship, and I love how Yiyang’s 100% there to support her.

I also really like how Yiyang explains his reaction, when Yin Guo tells him that the test is negative and she’s not pregnant.

I love that the reason he’s glad, isn’t because he’s averse to the idea of them having a baby; it’s because he wants Yin Guo to live a life that offers her a wide range of opportunities to explore and grow her talent.

Again, he’s really thinking from her perspective and being considerate towards her, and I can’t help but melt at it all, y’know? 🥲

And then, right after that, after Yin Guo expresses a touch of wistful jealousy at how Yiyang has to spend so much time with Chengyan, Yiyang just pulls her into a piggyback position, and then proceeds to tell everyone that he’s going to see his mother-in-law, and therefore won’t be able to meet Chengyan as planned.

Tee hee hee! I thought this was so, so adorable, honestly. 🤩

I love how unabashed Yiyang is, about his relationship with Yin Guo, and how committed he is, to her. 🥰

And therefore, I’m so, so happy for them, that Yiyang’s visit to meet Yin Guo’s parents goes as well as it does.

Of course it makes me happy to see Dad, and then Mom, speak to him with kindness, acceptance and respect.

What gets me more, though, is the way they approach the whole visit as a team.

The way Yin Guo keeps working to assure him, and the way she keeps trying to protect him, is very cute, as is the way she agrees to run away with him, if all else fails.

And how about that moment, before they go in to meet Mom, when Yin Guo tells him that whatever Mom might say, doesn’t represent her; that she’s decided that she wants to spend the rest of her life with him.

Augh. The way you can see this hit Yiyang like a very welcome ton of bricks, is so special. 🥲 I love.

The whole thing about Yiyang buying that apartment in Hull, and also, that Harley Davidson, feels kinda wild, coz he really is spending a lot of money, and I can understand why Yin Guo would be so perplexed at him splashing out when he’s got so many other financial obligations.

But, this is consistent with Yiyang; he’s always been quick to spend on something, if he feels that it would make Yin Guo happy.

And, I do find it quite cute, that this somehow inadvertently ends with Yin Guo protesting that she wasn’t talking about him buying a matrimonial home, when she muses that if he was going to buy an apartment, then it shouldn’t be in a country that they’ll barely spend time in. 🤭

Through all of this, I am really growing fond of Xiaodong as our OTP’s surprisingly biggest supporter.

I love how he’s there to help shield Yiyang from any potential wrath from Mom, and I also love how he’s showing us more and more, that he sincerely cares about Yiyang, and sees him as more than a rival, but a friend. I love that. 🥲

Which is why I find myself really enjoying the fact that the key players from both Dongxin City and Bei City get selected for the national team, and end up spending so much time training and living together.

It feels like they’re all one big family, living in the same space, and I really, really enjoy that.

I especially like the fact that Xiaodong insists on playing a round of snooker with Yiyang and Jiang Yang, in the middle of the night, just because they can. 🥲

Of course, we also get a few couple moments snuck in here and there, and as we close out episode 28, I’m tickled that we’ve got Yiyang sulking in the bath, coz he’s jealous of Yin Guo’s diehard fan, while Yin Guo looks in on him, glistening in said bath, in amusement.

Heh. Quite cute.

I guess this is when Yin Guo will get to see the less wonderful side of Yiyang, which he was saying that he was worried she wouldn’t like?

I just know it’s all going to be fine in the end, of course, and I’m glad for it. I’m just a little wistful now, that in just two more episodes, it’ll be time to say goodbye to these characters, and this drama world. 🥲

THOUGHTS ON THE ENDING [SPOILERS]

E29-30. I have somewhat mixed feelings about this finale, my friends.

First of all, let me say that I put off watching these last two episodes for quite a while, partly because I came down with vertigo all of a sudden and everything ground to a halt for me, and also partly because I felt wistful about saying goodbye to these characters, and therefore wanted to put it off for a bit longer.

Coming back to this after literal weeks, I found a sense of easy comfort, like, Ahhh, it’s actually rather nice, to be in the drama world again, and spend time with these characters of whom I’ve become fond.

I also immediately remembered how much I enjoyed the idea of our athletes all playing on the same team, finally, regardless of which club they hailed from.

For this reason, I was pretty happy to cheer on the sidelines, for the duration of the competition, and had no issue with the abundance of competition scenes.

I really liked seeing all our characters excel at their sport, and it also just made me happy to see everyone encouraging one another during the competition, and also, hanging out together when they were not competing.

My favorite bit, around this, is when, after everything is over, Yiyang, Jiang Yang and Xiaodong take a photo together.

Aw. They’re absolutely comrades, even if Xiaodong is from a different club. I love that. 🥰

On the OTP side of things, I also liked seeing how they care for each other during high-pressure times like this, and how they cheer each other on, and demonstrate their belief in each other.

I do like the idea of Yiyang proposing and them getting married, but.. I have to confess that I found the whole proposal scene a little cringey. 🙈😅

I thought it was weird how they dubbed the singing part completely, particularly since the song itself IS sung by Wu Lei himself, on the soundtrack.

The mismatch of his lip movements to the song was distracting for me personally, over and on top of the fact that I just.. don’t prefer that particular song. (I’m sorry, Wu Lei! I still love you! 😅)

Like, perhaps we could’ve had an unplugged version of him singing it, for the proposal? That might have been less distracting? 😅

I appreciated the highlight reel of all of our OTP’s special moments, even though I still cringed at Show shining the spotlight on the very weird and cringey public confession that Yiyang made, after the competition hosts harassed him about why he was at that particular competition.

I’m side-eyeing Show for making me relive even a bit of that cringe. 👀

I think generally, I just would’ve preferred if the proposal had been private, just between Yiyang and Yin Guo. That would have felt more in line with their personalities.

This whole thing, of Yiyang baring his heart to Yin Guo in front of their friends, was secondhand embarrassing to me, and didn’t feel organic to this character.

That said, I did like the Truman Show analogy, and the idea that Yin Guo’s the one who came along and led him out of his inauthentic world, into a world which he’d thought would be impossible for him to be a part of again.

In principle, I’m not opposed to the time skip, because I like the idea of checking in on our characters, to see how they’re doing.

However, I did find the entire final stretch a bit too cheesy and, for lack of a better word, posey..? 🙈😅

To be clear, I’m referring to everything after the time skip, not just our OTP scenes. 😅

While I get the idea of our writers wanting to bring everything full circle, and have our OTP back at the Red Fish bar where they’d first met, the way it’s done is very, er, affectatious?

I’m pretty sure part of it is also the fact that Yiyang reserves the whole place, and brings in a band to play the song that he’d sung for the proposal.

I like the idea, but it just lands as kind of overly cheesy to me, and I would have preferred something the felt a little more organic, I think.

All that said, slightly uneven feelings towards the finale notwithstanding, I did enjoy being a quiet visitor to this world, I did grow fond of these characters, and I will absolutely look back on this show with good feelings, so I’d call that an overall win. 🥰

THE FINAL VERDICT:

Low-key, pleasant and warm, provided you are able to tune in to Show’s wavelength.

FINAL GRADE: B+

TRAILER:

MV:

PATREON UPDATE!

The next drama I’ll be covering on Patreon, in place of Amidst a Snowstorm of Love, is The Tale of Rose [China]. I’ve taken an initial look at The Tale of Rose and I’m happy to say that I really like it, so far.

You can check out my episode 1-4 notes on The Tale of Rose on Patreon here.

Here’s an overview of what I’m covering on Patreon right now (Tier benefits are cumulative)!

Foundation Tier (US$1): Entertainment tidbits + the first set notes of all shows covered on Patreon (that’s 2 episodes for kdramas and 4 episodes for cdramas)

Early Access (US$5): +My Sweet Mobster [Korea]

Early Access Plus (US$10): +The Tale of Rose [China]

VIP (US$15): +Miss Night and Day [Korea]