Go Go Squid! (2019)

The perfect sunshine-grumpy romcom

My main issue with romcoms is the way they (mis) portray the sunshine and the grump in the sunshine - grumpy trope. The sunshine is always a boundary disrespecting, no filter, hyper active manic pixie girl who is infantalized by a scowling alpha introvert.

I'm very pleased to tell you that this does not happen in Go Go Squid. From the first episode, I loved both Tong Nian and Han Shangyan. The writers get both the characters' shades right. Tong Nian is a sunny, personable, intelligent and accomplished young woman yet she is naive in a way only sheltered young women can be. She is respectful of Han Shangyan's boundaries and pulls down the walls that he's built around himself, one sweet smile at a time. Speaking of the latter, his gruff on the exterior and big softie on the inside personality had me hooked from the get-go. Han Shangyan is not your typical alpha male lead - for all his threatening attitude, he's actually a caring person and very, very vulnerable. The min he realises he's fallen for Tong Nian, you start seeing how he changes (in fact, that mean-to-everyone-but-a-gentle-giant-only-to-her attitude had me MELTING). He does not infantalize her even though he recognises that she's much younger to him not does he get all huffy-puffy and male ego-y because she's much better than him in every aspect (personality, intelligence, education and wealth). He is more than happy to support her just as much as she is ready to support him. Really, their love story was so wholesome to watch.

All additional characters were also wonderful and kind (unlike the extremely bitchy and nasty society shown in LoveO2O) and the production aesthetics one of the best that I've seen in c-dramas (I'm still new. Have only watched 6 thus far).

Go Go Squid has replaced My Little Happiness as the best c-drama I've watched and I cannot wait to discover more of Li Xian and Yang Zi's works.

Lire davantage

It was okay

I knew this drama was big when it was aired but I just got the chance and the will to watch it since I needed more of Li Xian's acting after finishing Meet Yourself. The plot itself is actually fine, the flashbacks and the foundations of the plot and the gaming competitions scenes are fine and quite interesting, but I just cannof bear to watch some scenes. The earlier episodes where FL chased ML relentlessly, trespassed and bothered him and ML always wanted to avoid conflict by not denying anything bother me a lot. It just doesn't make sense to me. FL character is too dependent, too clingy, and too giving to the ML even tho she is a Master student with IQ 140. FL also isn't bothered by the actions of ML that keeps taking her for granted (in early episodes) and huting her, she is too accepting. ML character who likes to throw tantrum without communicating it out also bothers me. He supposed to be 30, at least he can talk. I skipped some scenes. Thankfully, it gets better in the latter episodes and it was okay. Li Xian is very handsome and Yang Zi is very cute. I endured just to see them.

Lire davantage

Cute then fizzled out

I love the age gap older man/younger woman trope. Li Xian carried this series. His character’s arc was so good. As HSY, he carried the part effectively, making me root for him. TN was adorable however her ridiculousness was over the top at times.

This was addictive until around ep. 26 onwards then the flashbacks got too tedious. This series went on way too long so I rated the rewatch value lower. The messages are powerful however they tended to be repetitive after awhile.

The camaraderie amongst the team members was so good, I enjoyed the boys’ reaction to the romance between their boss and TN.

Lire davantage

I love Yang zi dramas ,for Li Xian it's my first time watching his dramas but their chemistry was so good in this drama,adding the clinging and the romantic kisses.the bromance between the CTF TEAMS was also good .but the most reason to y I watched this drama is the cuteness of the mains they made the drama feel real .I even kept REWINDING every time they made love .
GUYS ITS A MUST WATCH TRUST ME ,YOU WONT REGRET. I WATCHED TWICED .
All though he treated her like a child but he still loved her how ever much the mum tried splitting them up .the main male lead has symptoms of real love he could do any thing for the female lead
The female leads friends also played a great compact when it came to making this love story story come true. They portrayed the concept of love has no age and class .I just wish they play another drama together and also date in real life

Lire davantage

Cute but too long

Finally finish and… it’s ok drama to watch.
feels like there was a lot of unrealized potential. The reviews are a bit over the top… yes it is nice but not the best.
I watch it for the romance… which Han Sanyang delivers quite nicely. You notice the difference in him and how he cares abiut her… but Tian Nian, well… she remains as childish as it can be.
While it is a good mix to be feminine and playful vs the cold/hard attitude of ML…. I found her too childish and with very little emotional intelligence. In compare to her friends..
also… at a certain point, Han Sangyan was really mean to her… to a point of no return…. And Tian Nian just takes it and forgives him…. Come on! No consequence for him….
Yes he redeems a bit later on but still…. Again FL that are underdeveloped with cero character…
the gaming part was cut short and dragged constantly the story… a lot of flashbacks and Very nationalistic….
Yes, it is their dream to win for China…. We heard it every episode for like 10 mins…

for the first time ever.. I started to fwd in order to advance the story….
Yes, story was nice.
Yes, he is great! She is blah
No, i would not watch it again

Lire davantage

From the start of the drama, till the very end. Everything captured me especially the chemistry between the two actors who are both some of my favourite Chinese actors. I am happy that Li Xian got to play a bigger role and the role fits him really well! Yang Zi played TN very well as the audience was able to see the childish side of her except I wish the producers presented TN's smart side more.

Overall, I loved the story as the first 10 episodes explained how they met, the next 20 is how they bonded and the last 10 about team and love. The drama demonstrated how persistence can achieve many things, not only your job or education but love as well. The only thing that I disliked about this drama was the repetitiveness of flashbacks to HSY's past. I feel like all the flashbacks added together could make one episode and sometimes, the flashbacks were the exact same which kind of annoyed me.

The OSTs of the songs were amazing! I even download the piano versions of the song to help me study!

Lire davantage

Wouldn’t rewatch

The story held a lot of promise and provided entertainment, yet there were certain elements that were executed poorly. Around episode 26, I began to skip scenes due to the repetitiveness and excessive use of unnecessary flashbacks throughout most episodes. On the production side, the presence of noticeable voiceovers and dubs frequently disrupted the immersion of the story.

On a positive note, the dynamic between the main group of boys and their interactions with the ML was the highlight of the show. The acting from the side characters and OST weren’t bad either.

However, there were some aspects that didn't resonate well. The portrayal of the "elders'" reaction to the ML's profession felt clichéd, particularly the unbelievable response from the FL’s parents. Despite being educated people that clearly understand the tech industry given how they speak about their daughter’s career, they inexplicably looked down on ML's career. He’s in the tech industry as well, specializing in and pioneering a very important sector of the industry, and even established his own company. There was already plenty of potential for conflict stemming from his age, character, and the FL's status as a student. They didn’t need to harp on him “playing with computers” all day. Like what?

Speaking of conflict, stupid misunderstandings were used as well as noble idiocy to cause tension. Both of which are never not frustrating and unrealistic.

The excessive use of cringeworthy and awkward moments between the ML and FL created an unintended perception of incompatibility between them. The FL often seemed like a prop rather than a fully developed character, exhibiting traits reminiscent of a manic pixie dream girl. The ML's aloof and arrogant portrayal was executed too well, detracting from the potential chemistry between him and the FL.

The kiss scenes also suffered from awkwardness. And the FL constantly being referred as a kid felt off-putting given the age gap situation. It’s unclear if this is a translation issue though. On a minor and petty note, the styling of the FL, especially her hair, often appeared distractingly out of place.

Lire davantage

Those who are strong on equal rights for women may feel insulted but this is about a young immature girl whose first love has taught her to grow into a mature female who realizes her feelings of love. The male who lived his live too focus on his dream ambition wearing side blinders and how he slowly melted away by his unconscious love for his first love. Their 10 years age gap was played out well by the two leads.
A cute romantic drama with lots of humor. The romance runs parallel with exciting competition teamed with life events, love, teamwork, forgiveness, understanding, and self enlightenment. I felt myself emotional caught up in their competitions and strategies. There is no dramatic second lead unrequited love, thank goodness. The actors are great; all have the right chemistry together. There were not much flashbacks until the last two episodes. Still, it's definitely a re-watch, binge worthy drama. I have to say I was dragging the drama longing because I did not want it to end. This is definitely worth another season as they move on to the next journey in their competition.

Lire davantage

Dropped !! So disappointed!! Till Ep.15 it was bit Nice.But after that I tried to watch it till the end but couldn't bear it after 29 episodes .I can't understand why this drama is popular.Female chases male first .. Why ? Storyline is Tangled up. Too many characters but still not interesting after 15 Ep.
Female lead's character , dressing sense,& professional education didn't even match because if you see bit thoroughly ,she is different in many manner ( if you're going to watch it then notice her personality ,her actions).I mean she's multi telented but still an idiot & tries to look cute. Practically chases male lead constantly.
Male lead is so irritating , cold & didn't give proper attention to female except in 2-3 episodes. Can't understand reason behind showing these kind of leads.Okay..If you want to match them than create proper situations and sense. NO ROMANCE TILL 30 EPISODES WHAT THE HELL IS THIS ?!
Only good thing about this drama is those cute boys of K&K E -sports company. :)
SORRY BUT DON'T WATCH IT AFTER 15 EPISODE.

Lire davantage

O melhor drama c-drama que já vi, mas nem tudo são flores

Raiva. Várias risadas. Mega amor pelo shipp. Decepção. Espanto. Orgulho... Vai Cara de Lula me despertou MUITAS EMOÇÕES.
De cara já começo falando que ambos os protagonistas são encantadores: o Han Shang, nosso boy, pode ser rude e orgulhoso, mas ao mesmo tempo ele cuida de todos a sua volta e se preocupa com o menor dos problemas que seus amigos possam vir a ter. Ele é um paizão para os meninos da equipe de CTF (qual ele é o chefe), bom neto e um amigo goals. Já a menina, a quem eu carinhosamente chamo de Toninha (culpa dos comentários do Viki haha) conquistou meu coração aos poucos. Eu a achava dependente demais, pegajosa e boba, mas a criatura ganhou meu coração de cena em cena. Em determinado momento do drama eu só queria parar e cuidar de Toninha, porque ela é um neném.

Esse c-drama tem uma história ótima, com começo meio e fim. É gostoso de assistir um roteiro que pega todas as pontas da vida do casal e amarra, além de desenvolver as tramas coadjuvantes junto, pra tudo ficar casadinho. O protagonista masculino é mais velho e passou por algumas situações que acabaram fazendo ele se tornar uma pessoa triste e mal humorada. Aí entra nossa amada Toninha e faz o cara ver que a vida vai além de só brigar e carregar orgulho. Além disso, o romance também serve muito para o amadurecimento da menina. Ela começa sendo super apaixonada e cadelinha e depois BUM, vira um mulherão Girl Power que sabe dizer "não quero" quando acha necessário.

Orgulho viu!

Mas como eu disse no título, nem tudo são flores. Até esse amadurecimento dos personagens, tive que engolir algumas cenas com um pouco de raiva. A começar pelo motivo original de Han Shang ser amargurado assim, que gerou suspense até mais da metade do drama, mas NÃO TEVE SENTIDO ALGUM. Além disso, o machismo é tão forte que tem uma cena em que o Han é violento com uma mulher, mas todos acham normal por causa da "personalidade" dele. Não, meu povo, isso não é normal! Também não tem nada de normal ele humilhar a Toninha algumas vezes e ficar tudo bem depois.

EU SEI que é apenas um drama, mas é perigoso acharmos que na vida real, num passe de mágica uma relação que começa com grosseria e em que a pessoa te humilha, vai virar algo bom no futuro. Se isso por milagre acontecer, é um caso em um milhão. Não levem o exemplo pra vida, meninas e meninos!


Concluindo, fiquei feliz sim, fui cadelinha do drama sim! Maaas se for assistir tenha a consciência que é apenas um drama e você verá algumas coisas que não pode aplicar na sua vida.

Continuo em minha busca por um drama c-drama com ZERO DEFEITOS, mas por enquanto, Vai Cara de Lula é meu top one :) ❤️

Lire davantage

Boring as Hell!

I started watching this after watching and enjoying other E-Sport Mainland Chinese dramas, i.e., Love 020 and Falling into Your Smile and thought this competition-themed show would be good. Was I ever wrong!

First of all, the Female Lead annoyed me to no end. She wormed her way into the Club facility and then stalked the Male Lead for numerous episodes in the beginning of the series. And what is with her hair style? Is she 5 years old??? Her over-acting drove me crazy!

The Male Lead, who could be considered somewhat good-looking, was emotionally stunted. I guess that's what his character was supposed to be (that is, stiff as a board) but it completely turned me off.

I blame the writers for the poor screenplay and script. I also blame them and the director for stretching this show out to 41 episodes. They could have told the story in half as many episodes. I watched up to Episode 20 then skipped to Episode 40 and didn't feel that I missed anything major, as the plot was predictable. This show was filmed in 2018 and I find that C-dramas were generally pretty bad until 2020 when they showed a marked improvement in storyline, acting and set production. An example of this improvement is Falling into Your Smile, a C-drama in 2021 with superior storyline, acting, graphics, and production quality.

I will not rewatch this show nor recommend it to anyone.
Overall: poor writing and story, poor acting, poor set designs, poor hair designs.

Lire davantage