Show has a reasonably interesting central story to tell, but unfortunately, tries to stretch it out to fill a longer time slot than it really needs, which makes for a rather uneven, meandering and frustrating watch experience.
We do have a reasonably solid cast, among whom there are some very nice bright spots, but sadly, our cast isn’t quite able to rise above the limitations in the writing.
Promising in concept, but quite underwhelming in execution, in my opinion.
THE SHORT VERDICT:
Show is easy on the eyes, with high production values that bring a creatively conceptualized fantasy world to life, a fabulously rich wardrobe for female lead IU, and several handsome leading men to top it all off.
IU delivers a strong performance, and her character’s personal journey fittingly forms the backbone of this story.
On the downside, I did not enjoy the OTP connection between her and Yeo Jin Goo, and I also felt the writing weaknesses quite keenly. ‘Twas still worth the while, though, for various endearing characters whom I became quite fond of.
A pleasant enough watch, if you’re able to look past Show’s shortcomings.
Not too long ago, lots of people on my Twitter feed were going gaga over Meteor Garden 2018, and so I dipped my toes in too, out of curiosity (yes, despite stating firmly that I had had my fill of the story via the J- and K-versions).
I really liked the first episode, but found myself losing interest in the next few episodes, so much so that I ended up dropping out early, after just 4 episodes.
BUT! Plot twist!
I found similar tsundere-male-lead-campus-romance crack in My ID is Gangnam Beauty instead.
This kinda-sorta gave me the addictive feels I once had over Boys Over Flowers many, many moons ago (ironically, I can’t bear to watch BOF now), but I liked this one better, and slurped up the first 10+ episodes back-to-back. Woah, indeed.
Yes, there are caveats, but they aren’t dissimilar to the ones you’d need to make for Meteor Garden 2018 too, so – fair play? 😉
This, you guys, is a quick, cute, easily slurped-up little mini series. Just 6 half-hour episodes of light fluff, sprinkled with little nuggets of heart.
It’s absolutely perfect for when Real Life gets really hectic, but you still want a drama fix. The bite-sized episodes are easy to make room for in your busy schedule, and the breezy content won’t add any strain to the brain either. Win and win!
This one’s also quite perfect, if you’re knee-deep in heavier shows, and need just a little bit of light, to balance out the dark.