A River Runs Through It (2021)

It was a very good and lighthearted drama the only issue was the lack of closure

I loved this drama as it followed lovable characters through different phases of their life. I personally loved the relationship between Shiyi and Xiaoju and how it progressed. I would have given it a 9 if it wasn't for the lack of closure at the end. SPOILER AHEAD: after Shiyi left for abroad without telling anyone, and he cut Xiaoju and everyone else off, we never got a proper explanation. The last episode ended with their engagement, but we didn't get to see Shiyi and Xiaoju work out their misunderstandings and talk about all of their built up emotions over the years. I was eager to see that confrontation, but it never really happened, and it ended up feeling like they just ignored Shiyi's trip abroad and all the misunderstandings that took place. Another issue was that I would have loved to see more of Tao and Bao Bao's relationship and how that progressed as they were a really cute couple. This drama would have been perfect with just one more episode giving us some closure. Other than that, I loved the butterflies I got watching this, and how cute it was. I would definitely rewatch.

Lire davantage

It's a nice drama!
Hope one day the writer surprises us with a second season!!❤️
I looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove it❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
The story is soooooooo iconic omg love it
I looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove it omg hhhhhhhh ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove it❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Lire davantage

Friendship, one sided love and dreams.

I loved it. It was refreshing,funny and just cute. I related to the FL's woes with her family tho I'm the youngest 😂. The friendship between the main cast was so cute I laughed a lot at their shenanigans I felt like I was one of them. I also found myself liking the second lead along with the FL tho I quickly realised it won't work and gave up unlike her 😂 I can't believe she kept liking him for so long it didn't make sense tho he's nice and all but he already got someone he liked at some point so... Welp anyways I also liked how the bestie broke up peacefully at the end with that guy it was different. The ml and FL were so good Richard really outdid himself in this drama I loved his character a lot. Most importantly what I liked in the drama is that each character is given a very good realistic persona with good points and flaws they felt real. The only thing I have a complaint about is the ending... Like it was a little abrupt? We needed a little explanation maybe also a closure? It felt a bit rushed I found it lacking!! The time she spent liking the other guy felt more than the time they spent loving each other and to be precise what I mean is her reciprocating his feelings finally. So yeah I felt a little frustrated like we were robbed of The perfect ending. Overall, it was still beautiful.

Lire davantage

realistic take on youth

i will never ever recommend watching this to anyone looking for a fairytale romance.
story and characters: this is a slice of life. it is about youth. a very realistic portrayal of life and love, loss and separation, reunion and complex attachments that happens to most of us. it is highly relatable to many viewers. many may not like the fl because she spent over half the drama pining for the 2ml, who was busy with his own love life. but in reality we all probably know someone like the fl and 2ml, and maybe even a toned down version of the ml. obviously guys like ml are very rare, thats why this is a drama not a documentary.
we often come across someone who is in love with their best friend but never confesses and thinks they are oblivious to their love, but in fact they choose to stay oblivious to keep a precious friendship because of their own strictly platonic feelings. so many people really cant see the good things right in front of them because their heart blinds them to only see what it wants, and its not until late that they finally realize the true worth of things. how often do we see couples breaking up because of their ex coming back? there are also couples really in love but that love isnt enough to sustain their relationship and end up in a push and pull situation, thus breaking up and patching up again and again only to have an ugly separation, and possibly leaves one of them in lifelong regret. some people find everlasting love again after a messy breakup, some people don't move on even after a long time after breakup, some people give in to their regrets but never move on from that one love, some get back with their ex partners to ultimately breakup again with them and finally find their soulmate in someone else, some fall in love and get blind to others and after a long time subconsciously grow to love someone else that they have always relied on, some only just love one person forever and silently stay by their side doing everything for them selflessly just for their happiness. some of them get their happily ever after, some don't. some get their first love as their life partner, some don't get their beloved ever. this is real youth. this is what real people go through. this is what arrti portrayed through 6 characters who grow up and mature over time. growing up means separation, people go their own ways to build their lives, down the line we reconnect with some, while some are lost permanently. also lets not forget that the premise is set in pre 2000s which progresses to early 2000s during which most of the plot happens., so communication through internet wasn't exactly the best. another important part is that, i couldn't bring myself to hate any of the characters, be it lin you or huang jun.
acting: the acting was great actually. my first time watching wang ruichang as ml and this proved that he very well deserves more ml roles. 2nd time watched hu yixuan as fl and she honestly delivered her part well.
production: i wonder where they managed to find such rural looking settings that are actually fitting of pre 2000s society. they also found some pretty scenic locations too. also that song that xiaoju sang for cheng lang was my favourite ost. overall pretty decent production.
one complain is the ending. an ending like that? awful. i get that it was a happy ending but we deserved some more scenes of that.
i am not really into youth dramas, because of mostly the airheaded fls who speak in a baby voice, rich vs poor, love triangle cliches. and i most definitely never watched a slice of life before. so i am impressed by this one as it is my first time. i regret not watching this sooner. but maybe if i had watched it before, i wouldn't have appreciated it as much as i do now, since now i understand the story on a personal level. meaningful friendships, mature characters, and a realistic storyline. overall a good watch for sure.

Lire davantage

mixed up feelings?.

I'm reaching my most favorite cdrama even tho I cried, stressed, and so many mixed feels it was hard watching it but last time it took me 1 week and a half to finish it cause of each episodes but im glad it was an happy ending for lu shiyi and xia xiaoju but cheng lang kind of Deserves better since he didn't get to have the love of his life.

I also thought about this like a enemies to lovers + slow burn cause it took long enough for xiaoju to know that shiyi loved here since he did bully her to cover up his feelings and even brought that shell clip even if he said it's ugly including his mom was teasing him about that but anyways.

the whole drama is basically a hs/college Sweetheart since they were all friends back in year 3 but there was so many good and bad things happening its like a mess and loop but shiyi has always been jealous when xiaoju mentions cheng lang or smth other than that or like the couple moment so just breaks the moment anyways.

but I wouldn't say enemies cause I would also say rivals since it's like their competitive over stuff and I love seeing their rival moments I just still think that why did she take so long to notice that lu shiyi liked her? like I'm always fed up with that feeling.

note: (srry if you dont understand my review)

Lire davantage

A Good Drama About Life and Youth

Keeping the love plot line aside this drama did justise to other aspects of a youth. From school life to being an actual adult, it showed a glimpse of all the important elements a young adult faces in their life at least once.

The story line covered a lot of characters and each character had their own story to tell. There was a lot of heartbreaking things but a beautiful endto complete their own stories. This drama is actually a slice of life kind of drama which actually portrays real life things and not fairytale love.

To me the love triangle between the main leads wasn't the best part and when the third person finally went from their lives (love angle way) their own misunderstandings came in way, THIS WAS THE ONLY THING which did not satisfy me. Also the screen time for the two leads being in love was also very less. I wish we had more of them dating and something but anyways.

The drama is a worth a watch if you have nothing to binge, the sweet moments of these friends and the cute bikering of the main leads will keep you going. Overall it was a fun watch.

Lire davantage

This is a story of monkey love and/or crush and friendship. I enjoyed watching coming of age stories like this. I love watching the character grows and move on in their life. This drama feels more realistic, as we all have that monkey love when we were in school and some grow out of it, some keep it until graduation. Who we ended up with is usually not the one we have the crush with. I like the relationship and chemistry between Xia Xiao Ju and Lu Shi Yi. I think the best kind of romantic relationship is being with your best friend, since you don't have to pretend to be someone else when you're with him. Shi Yi started off like a jerk, but he grew on me and he really cared about Xiao Ju. He just has his own way of showing it. I was rooting for Xiao Ju to be with Shi Yi and not Cheng Lang. The supporting characters are also interesting. It breaks my heart when Huang Jun sang that last song to Le Tao. I can feel their pain and sadness. Lin You is my least favorite character. She is annoying with that annoying voice. I can't stand it whenever she appears on my screen. Unfortunately I was not one that skips scene. Her voice seemed fake and dubbed. Overall, I really like this drama. It is light, heartwarming, and there are many funny moments.

Lire davantage

Amor tem que ser recíproco, não uma obrigação

Geralmente quando um drama tem potencial para ser bom eu gosto de pontuar o que pra mim podia melhorar pra que ele seja bom ou ótimo. A River Runs Throught It, assim como muitos dramas chineses escolares tem aquela atmosfera antiga que realmente te envolve, contando com celulares sem muitas funções, roupas coloridas, complicações escolares e me fez chorar ao retratar a preferência da mãe de Xia Xiao ao seu irmão mais novo, bem como me fez ansiar por cada episódio para saber quando Lu Shiyi finalmente se declararia deixando Xia Xiao saber seus sentimentos verdadeiros. E sim, Xia Xiao não está totalmente cega por Cheng Lang, no fundo percebemos que ela está admirando as qualidades de Lu Shiyi ao ponto de suspeitar que talvez ele goste dela. Mas qual o problema? Porque ela insistentemente volta a pensar em Cheng Lang que só a vê como amiga? Sim, por incrível que pareça é por causa de Lu Shyi. Esse personagem consegue se aproximar dela, mas infelizmente quando estão na mesma vibe, ele nunca avança, a deixando sem compreender seu comportamento, que nestes momentos o torna desinteressado e até agressivo. Ou seja, sempre quando ele está perto o suficiente para fazê- la esquecer Cheng Lang ele retorna ao mesmo Lu Shiyi imaturo. Quando finalmente chega o momento, ele acaba fazendo isso de forma desajeitada, violenta e, lógico que para ela que já havia se acostumado ou não com seu lado imaturo briguento, uma confissão é um baque, ao ponto de ela achar que é uma brincadeira sem graça. E ele forçando a barra depois disso, a obrigando a ser sua namorada, tornou o drama ainda mais tóxico e digno de ser abandonado. Acho que a única história interessante, de fato era a de Qiu Le tao, essa garota foi muito forte e decidida quando deu uma chance para Huang Jun e quando pôs fim a eles também. Amei o final deles, ela conseguiu se livrar daquele relacionamento tóxico, afinal a verdadeira infidelidade é quando não somos fiéis a nós mesmos e ela não podia suportar mais aquilo,ela não seria fiel ela a mesma se continuasse a suportar. Então esse drama teria sido melhor se Lu Shiyi não tivesse sido uma pessoa bipolar, ora sou bom para Xia Xiao, ora sou o cara mau que a confunde e a deixa. Isto não é romance, obrigar alguém a ver que você é a pessoa certa, isso só diminuía o Q.I dela a torna vulnerável, e esse comportamento a fazia esquecer rapidamente os poucos gestos cavalheirescos que ele teve com ela um dia. E sim Xia Xiao era cega por Cheng Lang, essa personagem sofria sem motivo por alguém que nem sequer soube de seu sofrimento, sim em certo momento sim, mas será que Cheng Lang valia tudo isso? Mesmo que Lu Shiyi não existisse, acredito que até agora ela estaria admirando Cheng Lang. Percebo que ela se apaixonou por quem Cheng Lang era, um garoto que a tratava bem, gentil, atencioso mas que era assim no geral, ela devia ter separado as qualidades de Cheng Lang de seu lado amoroso e ela saberia a resposta, ele nunca foi além disso, querendo estar ao lado dela sempre, esse era Lu Shiyi, mas infelizmente esse também pisou na bola, então dá pra entender a pontuação desse drama agora. Espero não encarar um dorama assim de novo, mas se for pelo menos que o amor não seja correspondido nos créditos finais do dorama, por favor!

Lire davantage

This entire drama was a misunderstanding

I rarely write reviews, and when I do it's for an insanely good drama or actual hell. I guess this drama wasn't really hell, but it was definitely the purgatory. If you like the misunderstanding trope, you will like this drama, because every single "dramatic" thing that happened was a misunderstanding.
The actors definitely did a great job, I applaud to them all, some are new for me, but some I've seen in previous dramas.
The main characters ( including Letao and Cheng Lang and their "significant others) had a relatively developed story. There were definitely some specific problems, like Letao choosing not to tell XiaoJu who she was marrying until the day before??? Shiyi never being seen studying despite majoring in MEDICINE. And then choosing to propose at LeTao's wedding, without ever actually being with XiaoJu. Although being in love with her for nearly ten years might account for that. Everyone in the drama switched their partner at least once, but Shiyi tied himself to Xiaoju and never let go. I swear the writers ex boyfriend must have been called Shiyi or something similar, which is why they chose to torture him until quite literally THE LAST EPISODE.
I might have enjoyed it more if the sole focus wasn't just on their love lives, but on what it actually feels like to be a student, because if you are or if you ever were one, you would know that it's not as bright and free as they were.
I have to admit, I did finish it quickly, and it isn't a necessarily bad drama, it just wasn't really executed correctly, so it tires you out and makes itself very predictable.

Lire davantage

Perfect drama until episode 27

This is my first review ever.
I loved the first part and if it continued like that, I could have said it would be my favorite drama ever.
Good characters, I liked the family relationships, the friendship, but the thing I loved the most in the whole drama was... Lu shi yi.
He was just perfect. Excellent acting, handsome, funny, chill, caring.
I really enjoyed their interactions and the little gestures he did for xiaoju. They were too funny and seemed so happy, perfect.
Many complain about Xiaoju's one-sided love that lasted so long but I didn't find it excessive. It's difficult to go move on. For me it was fine, but then... starting from episode 28 things went not so well...
Xiaoju and dadou were always joking and loved each other in their own way, but after the confession xiaoju starts to be really cruel with him.
It didn't seem like her behavior to me. She has completely changed and their friendship has completely fallen apart and been forgotten... Their story could have been better. He leave for so many year and they should have clarified first, talked about the past, developed their relationship... but no... why not get married...

Speaking of other things... why did chenglan have to go through all that? Why break his heart? Such a pure soul deserved better.
Tao tao... we were all happy for baobao but it didn't make much sense. He was just there to make us happy.

it would be great RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT SEASON 2. They could start with luShiyi's departure and delve into the long years spent away. What did he do. What happened. maybe he thinks about her. opens the jar of stars. I think he will continue to talk to Chenglan. maybe they're talking about her. I think he came back a few times to say hello to his parents, but maybe they never saw each other And the panic she felt. Every little thing reminded her of him. How they start their working careers. and then the return. their journey and wedding. they clarify the misunderstandings of the past. them talking and reflecting on past and present feelings. and their life as a couple accompanied by their usual moments. he keeps teasing her. would be great. Taotao e baobao love story. it could also be seen as a separate drama even by the people who haven't watch ARRTI1, but we would love it. even if the actors are now of a certain age it would be fantastic. if only there was a way to contact them

In conclusion, It's still a good drama. It made me happy, laugh and cry, would I watch it again? Probably yes, but I really want that xiaojun and lushiyi can have the ending they deserved.

Lire davantage

If you like teen dramas, you should watch this

This show had a good start with developing characters, new friendships, etc., but suddenly I started finding it boring. Throughout the series, the main character ends up being a second lead. This situation is absurd. Lu Shi Yi can never confess his love, and Xia Xiao Ju can’t seem to let go of Cheng Lang. Xia Xiao Ju thinking Cheng Lang likes him was ridiculous. Bao suddenly left the show in a nonsensical way and wasn’t seen until the end. There’s a love pentagon in the series, but no one gets a response from the person they like, and this goes on for about 30 episodes.

Footnote: Everyone finds Xia Xiao Ju’s feelings for Cheng Lang ridiculous, but it’s quite normal. Lu Shi Yi didn’t treat her well at first, but Cheng Lang was very kind and was there for her whenever she needed help. It’s just that the girl was naive and misinterpreted his kind and friendly gestures as romantic interest.

Lire davantage