A River Runs Through It (2021)

Beautiful yet bittersweet & youthful love story centered around many aspects of love

I should preface this review by first stating that the majority of c-dramas I get invested in are historical dramas, not many modern or youth dramas. Yet I fell in love with this drama within the first few episodes, much to my own shock. I thought I'd just watch it casually or when I wanted something fluffy rather than angsty and dark. But I soon binged up to all the available episodes, that's how immersed I felt in the story.

Now that I've explained my love and attatchment to their story, as it's rare for me to be invested in a drama and main pairing like I was, I can explain why I enjoyed the majority of the story and I reccomened it to anyone with an open mind about this story.

Firstly, the story. I haven't read the orginal book but I could tell that the source material helped the writers create such a fun and exciting story off the bat (with fire crackers giving us the start to the story, literally) Anyways, I was instantly gripped by the dynamic between the leads, Shiyi and Xiaoju, which felt sort of similar to the love story dynamic of Anne and Gilbert (From Anne of Green Gables) which could certianly be a reason as to why I enjoyed watching their story unfold so much, as that book was part of my childhood, along with the mini-movies. The reason I found these two similar is because it delievers that cheeky teasing boy x girl who fights back yet is ultimately quite sensitve to his teasing at times, and they bicker, like a LOT. As well as the fact that Shiyi falls for her first, which makes the way he constantly teased her at first even funnier considering how he falls and has a crush on her before he can even come to terms with it himself.

I thought the side-characters were interesting enough as well (there's a scene with the second leads, Huang Jun and Letao, towards the end that actually led me to tears even though I didn't quite expect it from them, so their story is anything but dull.) I know many viewers were somewhat dissapointed by how Xiaoju was crushing on Chang Leng for so long, but I think that's part of what made me want to keep watching. Her pining after this guy who didn't pay her much attention after he found someone he liked, she became basically an after thought to him, but she was never an after thought to Shiyi. We as the viewers get to see first hand how nice he actually is to her and all that he does for her, even if he likes to tease with his words and deflect his feelings a lot. If this kind of drama sounds like it would intruige you, I'd advise you to watch for characters who all make mistakes in love! ALL of them. No one is perfect.

This is also a c-drama with high quality acting from both mains, and most of the supporting cast. Hu Yixuan did such a great job with the conflicts at the beginning centered around her mother and her, specifically her mother's obvious favorment of her brother over her, which isn't a rare trope, but I thought she portrayed those emotions of an older sister particularlly well. And Richards Wang stood out to me as skilled right away, he pulled off the goofy, comedic relief male lead off successfully, and I've certianly seen other actors be unable to pull this off. Another thing that struck me was their beautiful chemistry together, they had to potray leads with a friendship that dated back to high school full of teasing and that kind of acting can come off as rather fake if the actors aren't comfortable with each other but you could tell they were and understood what seemed natural for their characters in interacting.

Overall, I think if you want a drama that does slowburn well, with only a little big of dragging at the end (in my opinion they should've cut college life off a bit earlier so we could get more of their adult life) but I understand they were following the original book and they made some good adjustments to the story as well. hehe. But the payoff is worth it! The chemistry is worth it! And don't be concerned about the 2nd male lead being in the way too much or anything, Shiyi and Xiaoju become best friends basically in the middle of the drama and this leads to them being together the majority of the time. Lots of fluff and tropes done right! I'll miss this drama and I'd love to rewatch it some day. Give it a try if this review sounds like you'd be in the mood for it!

Leia Mais

Best drama of this year

There was no villain, no toxic ex, just a beautiful realistic story. The leads were so connected. Each character has its own story to say. This drama is not for those who are on the cheesy kiss. But if you're on a good story, this is for you.
I love how Shiyi was always there for her. He truly deserves everything in this world for being so honest and kind. His character development will surprise you.

Next, Lin You's character development was so realistic. We did a lot of mistakes, and she showed the same. Huang Jun in the last cried and regret, but I love how he let go of her. Also, the whole series was special because of Cheng Leng. He was the most mature one here.

Le Tao suffered a lot and yes, in the end, she was happy. I'm happy for her.

Xia Xiaoju taught us a lot. Like if you keep waiting, you'll lose your chance. She was special. And hats off to all the actors, they connected us with characters so perfectly.
In the end, this drama had lessons, friendship, pure love, the struggle of each character. It's much better than those cheesy dramas full of kisses. I can say it was the best drama of this year.

You'll cry, laugh, learn and repeat!

10/10 to A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT.

Leia Mais

Realistic and interesting Drama

I really like this drama, it's funny and really interesting. I also love the fact that it's realistic and shows that in life things may not always turn out the way me want but we have to make it work.
I also love that it's not a typical love triangle drama where two boys fight for one girl. It's much more than that and it's really good.
My only problem is that the characters get on my nerves sometimes.... like sometimes they make decisions and I'm like "really"?. But then again maybe that just goes to show that we are human and we all make mistakes.

Overall it's a really good drama

Leia Mais

fell in love with the ML

Honestly, i would love to consider the entire show a waste of time but the first half was genuinely great, the character development and friendships were amazing 10/10, i loved the cast so much and the male lead was perfect, he was everything i wanted him to be, he was the only reason i watched all 36 episodes of this,
there is a "love triangle" in this which is basically a mess created by the FL, she just cant seem to see what's in front of her and she's so dismissive of the ML when he confesses to her, i found her plain rude too,
she wants to protect him but shes the one hurting him the most, i couldnt stand that.
i dont know what the directors did to the ending of this show, i'd assumed with it being so long we'd at least get a couple of episodes worth of content with the main leads being together but we dont, we dont get a single proper episode of them just being in love, the FL was overly frustrating for the last 10 episodes and the ML was a bit of a jerk in the last couple of episodes (although i do understand why he wants her to go through it after the way she treated him, but still)
overall, this drama was frustrating, the ML became one of my favourite characters, hes so considerate and sweet, he anticipates what the FL wants and does everything to make her happy, shes just emotionally stunted and blind to whats in front of her, i lowkey wished he'd fall in love with someone else just so i could stop seeing him pine after someone that barely saw his worth anyway,
the second? leads (the biker couple) were super cute together and i wished i could have seen them mature and grow in their relationship but instead they break up??? and she ends up with a childhood friend that i had all but forgotten about till he turned up last minute,
Cheng lang and his gf were super sweet together too, till they weren't- i do not know for what reason the writers decided that no one would be happy together? you could see how much his gf loved him but they had to bring the pianist back into the plot? and then she doesnt even end up with him???? we just see cheng lang unhappy at the end like, tf?
I also dont remember anything about the soundtrack so im it definitely wasnt memorable
this barely made sense, but thats what the drama was like, will not be rewatching, but i also dont really regret watching, it was definitely an experience

Leia Mais

The One that Got away

I always avoided youth dramas. Not for any specific prejudice. I've just spent my whole life watching high school dramas and I'm kind of over it now. I also never really got drawn by the youth cdramas I came across until I found "A river runs through it". This show took me by surprise with just how good it was. The emotions it stirred were so authentic that it reminded me of my own unrequited love AND this amazing story with an unrequited love that I had read many years ago. It just brought back all those feelings and squeezed my heart. That's why I liked this show because it managed to reach a genuine and true emotion. Unhappy love is such a universal concept and the show manages to capture that bittersweetness to the fullest.
Special shoutout: This show had one of the best opening titles. It was so cute that I didn't like to skip it.

You should watch this show if you like:
1. 90s retro aesthetic
2. Unrequited Love romances
3. FRIENDSHIPS
4. Complicated romances
5. Devoted male leads
6. School/University life
7. S l o w B u r n . . .
8. Weird epilogue
9. Love quadrangle...?

Plot: The show is based on a book and you can tell it was a proper novel because the show also has a very clear form to it with cohesive themes, tone, and pace. It stays focused on the concepts it tries to explore, has a good mix of comedy and melodrama, all the side stories are developed in thoughtful ways, and it keeps a firm grip on its themes. I thought the pacing here was nice. In fact, I have almost no complaints about the show's story except for how it ended...I'll get to it later. I loved the development of friendships and romances. The main romantic plot was just so good. The focus is not on the characters' studies so it's mostly sidelined to the melodrama but when there were b-plots focusing on it, I found them to be thoughtful and logical as well.

Acting: I saw Wang Rui Chang initially in TLB and I just really didn't like him there at all. I won't sugarcoat it; I thought he was pretty bad at acting. I was gonna avoid him forever. But then I started to watch this because everyone was raving about Lu Shiyi and I was blown away! He was just so good here. Perfect comedic timing. He just did such good physical acting and also with his voice and eyes and omg! What a talented young man! Hu Yi Xuan was also very good. Her performance did not overwhelm. She was not whiny, nor did she overact, she brought Xiao Ju to life. The supporting cast were just fine. I especially disliked Judy Qi's performance. It was bland and really watery. She had no soul and I just wanted her scenes to end as fast as possible. Everyone else was sufficient.

Music: I don't remember the music at all. Sorry!

Production: Shoutout to one of the most gorgeous and adorable opening titles. I wanted to say that because I thought it was just special and I loved it. This show is set around the turn of the century and the general vibe of the era was captured. I loved how they paid special attention to the male lead's weird fashion sense. It was very adorable. The sets were also meticulously made, everyone had their special style. The coloring of the show was pleasing to the eyes with a nostalgic haze that made the heartache more powerful.

Negatives: So the novel's ending is different from the show... as in it's not a happy ending. I think the creators wanted to reward the viewers with a happy ending and I appreciate that but the last two episodes of the show were some of the worst things I have ever watched and that's why this show is not a 10 for me! I almost lost all my faith in the scriptwriters because the moment they lost the book's guidance, the show just went to the dogs. If you stop at episode 34, you'll hate the ending but I think it saves the dignity of the production. Those last two episodes with their weird time jump are just skin-crawlingly bad. All the things that I complimented before: good writing, good acting, good lighting, and set design, it's like they all fly out the window. I have this theory that those were a part of the "extra" but they stuck it at the end as a consolation prize. I wish they hadn't. The main couple's dynamic is super off in those scenes; it's like they digress back to their initial state and lose their character growths, there's a scene that reads like r*pe to me...it's very weird, I hated it. Those two episodes are full of cliches and I would delete them out of existence if I could. Episodes 35 and 36 are not canon for me. They are just a bad dream I had after I finished watching the show. Don't get me wrong; I wanted that good ending so badly which is why I didn't stop after episode 34 but I wasn't satisfied with how it happened. It almost ruined the whole show for me. So even though the show has a happy ending, I still had to mourn when I finished watching t because it felt fake. It really didn't feel like the end was a part of the show.

Overall: I really loved this show. It was cozy, nostalgic, sweet, and funny in most parts but it also captured the bad parts of love in a way that the heartache was so palpable. Everyone was yearning for something they could not have. This added substance to this show and elevated it above an average youth drama and I wish more shows were like this. I recommend this show but my personal suggestion is to stop watching after episode 34 and just watch the extras!!!! It'll only be a little confusing!

Leia Mais

The rise of the new hero in C-drama-- appreciation for Charles Wang

At last a show which has developed multiple storylines for different characters. Very relatable charcters-- who hasnt met a Lu Shiyi, a playful mischievous, outspoken boy who is the life of his group but not the most sensitive chap around? A one woman man, who is solidly loyal through years despite the woman not really caring for him through most of it? A boy given to sports not the best scholar at school but the most clear thinking and hence most ambitious and successful individual of the group? I think Lu Shiyi is the most interesting male hero I have ever seen in any Chinese drama. What an amazing amazing boy and man he turns out to be.. Conventionally he is always shown a little less heroic than Cheng Lang-- a little less soft spoken, a little less understanding, a little less helpful, a little less "school idol"; but by God, he overtakes CL in every way as the story develops. You cant help rooting for this beautiful man-child who is devoted completey to the people in his life, is the solid rock on which all the drama of the entire group plays out. He supports everyone and stands for justice, even the betrayer room mate gets the right message from Lu Shiyi. Kudos to the young actor Charles Wang fr a marvelous portrayal

Leia Mais

Save yourself and your time from this show

Wallah a drama has never made me this angry before, I regret not dropping it, I have never written a review before but I had to for this drama because it was so garbage. The male lead has a crush on the female lead the whole time but the thought of liking the male lead didn't even come to the female lead's mind until the 26TH EPISODE (OUT OF 36 EPISODES). This show feels like I'm watching from the second lead's point of view because he is trying too hard and this girl just doesn't care for his efforts. Tell me why there are no cute scenes of them together officially as a couple,?? I'll tell you why BECAUSE THEY GET TOGETHER ON THE LAST EPISODE AT THE LAST 10 MINUTES. I've never seen a show where the female lead thirsts for a side character for so long, for like 20 episodes she has a crush on a side character. I watched edits thinking there were cute moments of them as a couple, but all those moments in the edits were just him having a crush on her and her just thinking of him as a brother. They shouldn't have held out so long on the female lead being attracted to the male lead and they should've included cute moments of them officially as a couple. I wish I could be who I was before I started this show, I'm not even getting into the side couples yet, this was a big waste of time everything was just so wrong about this show.

Leia Mais

Read this if you are thinking of watching this

I was excited to watch this drama because i like to watch youth dramas. If you don’t like love triangles then this drama isn’t for sure for you. The female lead through mostly half the drama was in love with the second male lead. At first, you know it’s commonly typical in these types of dramas but i feel like they stretched it for a long time. I would say 3 episodes before the last episodes, the female lead starts to show interest towards the male lead. It was very disappointing because it felt like the male main lead was the second male lead but he wasn’t. They had some cute moments but i felt very bad for the male lead through the whole time. You still get a happy ending though.

Leia Mais

A youth drama that shouldn’t be missed

Even with 36 episodes I felt that it’s not enough! I’m usually really picky when it comes to youth/coming of age dramas; but this was good.

The acting of the casts was awesome, they each fit the character they were playing like a glove. Though I only know HYX from her other works, the rest of the casts was pretty new to me, but, their acting didn’t fail at all. In addition to the music? Fantastic.

The only part that I felt that can be a little better was the time skip at the end and the romance/pursuing part for the leads… it felt a little to rushed. I mean, I don’t think viewers mind the extra episodes where they delve more into the leads?!

The drama really grew on me episodes after episodes.
You really see how each character grew from high school students into their adulthood. It’s not all happy and fluffy stuff in here for sure, you got through ups and downs and learn a lot before a happy ending

Ps. Can I just say that HRC looks abit like a mixture of hwang in yeop and IN from SKZ

Leia Mais

A BEAUTIFUL DRAMA - PLEASE WATCH IT!

I have a master's thesis oral defense coming and instead of studying I'm crying like a fool hereeee my tears won't stop!!!!!! This is the kind of drama that you don't wish to end!!! Actually I signed up on MyDramalist just to leave this review. I love how it wasn't overly fantasized because not everybody ended up with someone - it showed the reality of life and of love. You gotta be brave enough to let go to find your happiness like Tao Tao, sometimes things are not gonna end up all rainbows and butterflies no matter how kind you are and how much you fight your love for a person like Cheng Lang, you have to move forward even though you are still hurting like Huang Jun, sometimes you just don't realize the one for you is just right beside you like Xiaoju and shi yiiii he's just an angel I WISH WE ALL FIND OUR SHIYI who will be there for us in all our ups and downs... I''m gonna miss them all!!! I hope there's a second season for this :(((( We didn't get enough Shiyi x Xiaoju sweet moments huhuhu NOW MY NEXT PROBLEM IS: HOW DO I MOVE ON FROM THIS?

Leia Mais