Go Back Lover (2024)

Multi-Layered Characters

Originally this was added to the watchlist because I had heard that LYR was doing his first ML role and he'd done a good job playing supporting ones so was curious and I'd seen XRH once before though I wasn't very convinced back then; don't know why. Some of the supporting characters were familiar. But the story itself was interesting and all of the characters were multi-layered.

Pros: What set this show apart for me from others I've watched was the fact that this second chance romance brought in the past of the leads first to the episode, than present day including their and the other two couple's participation in the filming of the variety show, that way things were explained and you understood why certain things happened. It seemed to me that all three couples evolved both separately and together as the show wore on. At first you thought FL was a selfish brat because of her actions and in fact she did admit to most of the mistakes from the past as being hers but when you saw her layers of trauma, you understood that though this was a drama, she was still a human being. Favorite character was ML; I like how he was sure of himself, confident, independent and quite obvious that from the two of them he had grown and matured first.

The second couple was weird, toxic, and codependent and at the end she became pregnant and somehow you just prayed the child wouldn't become neurotic like his parents. They were my least favorite. The 3rd couple were called the healing couple in the comments and I agree; even though they were both ridiculously shy to the point of social anxiety; they were always a soothing balm to each other and their friends especially once they got together. I also liked that all 6 people even with all of their shortcomings, were such great friends and support systems to each other to the point that the show ended with the 6 traveling around together. Their friendship started in HS and progressed way into adulthood.

The 3.5 annoying people who played either rivals in love or just one completely unhinged chick all stayed as long as necessary and were then sent packing. Ironically even though YS seemed like the most annoying, when giving advice to the other two women during their "dates" set by production, gave the best advice. And really great way everyone took down the unhinged chick in the 2nd to last episode. Also how symbolic that it was SXR that proposed to LXY in the last episode as a close to the chapter; the marriage-phobe realized that's exactly what she wanted and that near death accident made her understand being next of kin is vital when you love someone.

Cons: Obviously this show was lower budget, but it didn't really hurt it. I do wish the SFL was less baby-voiced viper most of the series. Towards the end, I don't understand why the legal proceedings were published on screen. For starters this was fictional and secondly, the unhinged lawyer chick's crimes went beyond "intentional attempted vehicular homicide", yet she wasn't charged for those. Also none of the civil charges were made public. So either get all of the charges or none. Makes zero sense to do what they did. I think things could have been explained better about the show itself, as well as how SQ met her abusive ex husband. The show should have focused more proportionally on the third leads as we don't know much about TML's or TFL's backgrounds or their parents.

Would I recommend it? Yes. This was a different show that you had to watch to understand the multifaceted characters and how they got to where they were. It's a nice modern drama.

Lire davantage

Ex-lovers + complex relationships in a variety show setting

This drama focuses on the ex-lovers theme. The main leads are exes who join an ex-lovers variety show. While on the show, they navigate their conflicting emotions and through flashbacks, the audience explores their past relationship. Part of the variety show are also ex-spouses (second couple) and former-classmates (third couple). The structure of each episode is: school flashbacks (main leads only, 5 min max screen time) then present day (all couples) then variety show interviews (all couples, 2 min max screen time).

The centre stage of this drama is the main couple who gets the most amount of screen time. This couple is the epitome of #itscomplicated. I loved the subtle eye contact between the couple, which showed a mix of hurt, frustration, longing and hidden love. Both leads portrayed their characters so well that at times I almost forgot they were acting. Their love story at first glance appeared straight-forward (ex couple reconnecting). But the underlying issues of commitment, childhood trauma and conflicting desires, made the exploration of their relationship more complex. On the surface, some might quickly write off the male lead as a simp due to his deep devotion to the female lead. But what I saw was a man with emotional inner struggles, and a secret longing for his first love after many years apart. On the other hand, some might call the female lead selfish for stringing him along by not communicating her commitment issues. Although slow paced, what I saw was a woman’s journey of overcoming her childhood trauma by becoming self-aware due to a series of events. So yes, some viewers might get frustrated with the leads at certain parts of the drama but it’s good to remember that they’re written as flawed people. They are not robots or perfect humans. The writers did a great job showing how difficult relationships can be to navigate, just like in real life.

The second couple shared equal screen time with the third. The second couple featured a divorced couple who is the ultimate bickering-comedy relief type. For the big portion of the drama I felt like they were better off separated but towards the end, I was pleasantly surprised by the character development of both. For me, they were portrayed as one of those imperfect couples. I like that the writers showed us all relationships can work out if both people put an effort.

The third couple was the fluffiest of the fluffiest couples I’ve ever seen. Both shy and introverted, I like that the writers put them through difficult situations in order for them to find their voices and speak up when it really mattered.

POSITIVE:
- Complex relationships with flawed characters that’s portrayed in a realistic and modern way.
- Ex-lovers theme (second chance romance). Main couple is ex-lovers. Second couple is ex-spouses. Third couple is former-classmates. All three couples are very different and provide a nice variety of romance.
- Variety show setting. The couples are filming ex-lovers show.
- Good character development for all six characters.
- Lots of kiss scenes and skinship.
- Nice cinematography with lovely OST. The blend of visuals and music was done really well and a lot of the romantic scenes looked like music videos.
- Sweet friendship girl group.
- High school flashbacks (short screen time).
- Mix of light-hearted, very serious and romantic-sadness undertones.
- Lots of shirtless scenes (male lead).

NEGATIVE:
- Annoying side characters. The male friend of the female lead at the start of the drama is extremely arrogant, know-it-all and frustrating to watch. But he gets sidelined later on. There is also a very annoying investor’s daughter but she disappears half-way through.
- Ep 16-18 felt draggy as each episode was dedicated to guest characters. Ep 21 was too cliche for my taste. But these characters and situations were crucial for the character development of the female lead. So although a bit boring, they served a big purpose and were neither useless nor fillers.

OVERALL:
I felt like this drama portrayed well the complex relationships of ex-lovers while the variety show format added a fresh take on the trope. All three couples had different personalities and emotional issues which brought a nice variety of romance. The relationships dynamics felt realistic, with a modern approach and had good character development towards the end of the drama. In conclusion, despite some small frustrating parts, this was a very enjoyable second chance romance drama that I recommend.

Lire davantage

DEF A ONE TIME WATCH!!

Lemma be honest..
WHAT BROUGHT THE DRAMA DOWN:
At the very beginning, the storyline seemed interesting to me cuz it seemed kinda new.. Its been so long since we've had a dating show kinda drama but, THEY COULD HAVE DONE IT BETTER.. The scriptwriting was BAD (not HORRIBLE but a little better than HORRIBLE). The cast was great which made me start this drama in the first place.. And the flow.. Ahh.. TOOOOOOOOOO PREDICTABLE and veryyyyyy DRAGGY at places where its not even necessary. TOO MANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS. Very little character development towards THE END which made the story quite boring. And annoying AF FL... I get that she's seen her mom suffer in marriage a lot but throughout the story it seemed as if she was using the ML just for fun. She always seemed so self-righteous and extremely stubborn in my pov.
Second couple (Chen and Xu):
Ok, the gurl was annoying, overreacting and showed some signs of red flag behavior which was not okay. And she especially has FRAGILE EGO!! She was a crybaby at some scenes which was at first okay but was not as the same continued in the others eps too..
The man.. He was literally the best.. One of the people I loved throughout the drama.. He was kind, patient and sincere at the right moments although he seemed childish and very goofy. The way he was ready to do anything for his wife was just.. and yeah I'd say he deserved better.
WHAT I LOVED THE MOST ABOUT THEM: Def the part where she apologizes to him after he wanted to divorce her putting aside her ego. And the parts where he was ready to become a better husband which he already was..
Third couple (Shi and He):
The cutest couple ever.. They dont have much scrrentime but they are just cute and shy.. I'm not usually into shy couples but you'll just love them.. But I just wished they just opened up before to clear the misunderstandings that they had.. I swear you'll love them.. The gurl is so good at acting lol. She just expressed every emotion perfectly and I just hope she gets more recognition.
FINALLY:
I loved how Gurls always stood up for each other. They were smart and just loved their friendship.. All of the characters did their best and just showed the emotion of their own roles nothing less or nothing more.. The reason why this drama went down the hill after climbing all the way up was because of the poor character development towards the end and the way the script did not feel right.

Lire davantage

Only Watch If You Are A Fan Of The Leads Otherwise You Can Skip It

Story:
It is decent to say the best with nothing new or out of the box. The story is quite similar to many other past lover reunion tropes you have seen in many Chinese dramas before.

Pace:
The pacing of the drama is a little draggy as this entire drama could have been done in 16 eps had they not added some unnecessary story arcs.

Characters:
Frankly I found almost every female lead annoying and overbearing other than Duan Yu (Shi Qin) especially the female lead. Each lead character has their own flaws but their growth is shown while FL for most of the drama is still the same she was in the start. Male lead on other hand is a guy who is ready to do anything even screw his dreams if it means to stay with FL while she doesn't want to compromise even the slightest. It is only in the last few eps, you start seeing signs of improvement after she starts to heal from her scars.

Other lead characters especially the third couple has a cute story and makes you want to root for them alot.

Actors:
Each actor did their job fairly well whether it is the leads or side. LYR and XRH have really good chemistry and both suite each other well. Even the antagonists have done a good job in looking annoying.

Overall it is a one time watch. If you are a fan of the cast and past lover tropes, then go ahead and watch it but if you are looking for something much interesting then you can skip it.

Lire davantage

the best modern dráma this years !

this drama is the best I've seen this year ... very entertaining and exactly what I needed to see where the two break up and come back after years I love dramas like this again .. in the very first episode what about the divorce wedding? 😂😂😂 it looked like a disastrous wedding, so the pillow fight I couldn't stop laughing ... they immediately returned mine to the men .. I love it I saw 6 parts and it's terrible it gives me butterflies in my stomach .. the second couple is very crazy 😂 I love them... the main actress is very underrated for me, she deserves more attention! her acting is great also her role I love her in THE FORBIDEN FLOWER, PERFECT AND CASUAL .. she is great! .. the main man is very similar to me with his coolness NA YANG YANG reminds me of his character in (you are my glory) I love it definitely 10/10 watch it

Lire davantage

Nonsensical

This drama started out extremely promising but by the end...it made little to no sense.

The idea of exes being brought together by a dating show is really interesting, and I was really excited for the drama to build on the tension that our leads established in the first episode. Instead, the "dating show" wasn't at all interesting or relevant to any of the subplots that we ran through, and most, if not all, of the characters became very irritating.

The first issue that arose for me was just that the drama didn't take advantage of its "dating show" premise at all. I think it would've been interesting if we'd actually gotten a broad cast of characters that we'd be able to see become friends. Instead, the show changed the dating show to some sort of "throwback" theme where it was the FL and her two friends, plus the ML and his two friends. Six people who were from the same high school. And most importantly, it is NOT a dating show if it's obvious from the very first second what the three pairings are. I don't mind this in general (since all pairings in dramaland are pre-ordained) but every time the characters called it a "dating show" or talked about how it was trending and getting super popular...I just did not believe it at all. I felt like there was zero drama, competition, or anticipation — which is what usually makes a dating show fun. I am a master of suspending my disbelief but I can only go so far.

The "dating show" is also barely a plot point at all, other than serving as an excuse for our main leads to spend time together, and having those little interviews at the end. Instead, the drama rolls through different subplots that take place OUTSIDE of the show, and then every once in a while they say something like "we have to film" and then one of the expected couples goes to a restaurant or something. The show seems to make little sense — inserting stories like a wedding for an elderly rural couple.

When the dating show is relevant to outside subplots, it also just...doesn't make sense. I can overlook the weird situation that forced our female lead from being a producer role to starring in the show and still being behind-the-scenes because that was such a big part of the premise, but when a character becomes the lawyer for someone trying to sue the dating show she's currently on, or any of the second female lead's shenanigans, the conflicts of interest render the dating show setting even less believable.

With that issue aside, however, I just think the plots aren't interesting or well written. It uses tropes like "car accident" and of course the evil second female lead to trigger plots, and with all of these things it just feels like the writing is from a drama that aired in 2010.

I often just find myself thinking that these two main characters...these two people just shouldn't be together.

Beyond the first few episodes, there's very little tension between the pairings. Our main leads get back together extremely fast without ever sitting down and having a mature conversation. Both of them have very valid perspectives — both of them were selfish and either cold or pushy in the past — but in the end it feels like the drama went for a "we just love each other" approach. They say the right things by the end, but it doesn't quite feel earned.

They are both bad at different points in the drama; the FL constantly puts down the ML when he has concerns about a SML who is rude, petty, and very obvious insulting towards him because he wants the FL. It's played off like a "misunderstanding" because she didn't think the SML liked her, but the lack of respect towards the ML and her refusal to listen to his concerns should've been a much bigger deal.

And then the ML does something that is even crazier and unforgivable; the FL's father, who she is no-contact with because he is a horrible person who keeps dating women much younger than him, hosts a FAKE FUNERAL FOR HIMSELF so that the FL will come and give a nice speech about him and he can see her. The ML learns about this event and SAYS NOTHING?? AND JUST LETS THE FL GO TO IT AND GIVE HER SPEECH UNTIL THE FATHER HOPS OUT OF THE BUSHES AND SAYS "GOTCHA"????? The idea that because he did it because he thought it would "be good for her" is absolutely insane to me. If someone ever did that to me I would cut them off right then and there forever; I don't care if they thought it was for my own good or if my parent was on their deathbed — this is a decision that the person needs to make for themselves, especially considering how much trauma the FL had around her father. But the drama just...moves on. The ML says he didn't know about the extent of it, and the FL just insists that she won't love anyone else, despite this pushiness being the exact reason why they'd broken up in the first place, and despite this behavior being just insane in general.

The other two couples are fine, but pretty unmemorable. I think three couples might've been too much and diluted the emotional impact of each. If it were up to me I would cut out the divorced couple, since they're mostly there for comedic relief anyways.

I could go on, but you get the gist. This is a drama that starts out promising but quickly devolves into nonsense. Even the ending scenes where we got mini interviews started out very insightful and revealing in the first few episodes, but ended up feeling out of place because of the "dating show" theme not being clear.

Lire davantage

before you watch

I don't understand why people are saying the female lead has ego or like attitude and she is the actual childish one. but what do you expect from a child who saw her parent's marriage falling off which was a happy relationship at the first? as the mother said in one ep that her husband promised her to love her for the rest of the life but he still cheated on her and hurt her to the point that she has to take her own life. seeing all of these how can the female lead not act like that??

I understand in some cases she was the wrong one, when she broke up with him just because he lost his control over Yu Si.

and about the male lead I think he is quite understanding but was a little bit more possessive in their early phase of their life.

And tbh my favourite is the DIVORCE COUPLE 😭😭😭 they are the cutest

so yeah, it's a drama ofc it has SO MANY DRAMAS otherwise why would it be named as drama right? if you're looking for drama then watch it otherwise take a step back 💞

Lire davantage

Generic

This drama started out with plenty of potential but somewhere down the line I just lost interest.

Potential:
1. I feel like if they chose something less generic regarding the FL's past and misunderstandings that ensue it would have been much more enjoyable
2. Side characters could have had much more intense and engaging backstory
3. They could have incorporated something idk, unique?

Pros:
1. Cute Happy ending drama
2. Good looking cast
3. (more skinship than the general c-drama? but I have noticed this in many of Xu ruohan's dramas) this could be a pro/con
4. FL that takes no bs from others
5. ML and FL who (atleast in the beginning) are very open and talk about all their issues

Cons:
1. The most confusing part for me was the flashbacks, both the ml and fl look quite young (and the actors are very young!) they resemble college students and it honestly took me longer than I'd like to admit to figure out if it was a flashback or not (only the uniforms were a give away)

2. This is an issue i have in general but recently I have noticed that some c-dramas have a lot of whitewashing in the dramas and for me its a huge con because some characters look fake because of it and it takes away my viewing experience since i focus on their skin instead

3. Maturity. This is the biggest issue, since highschool the 2 haven't matured or reflected on the past and they are still as clueless as before

4. the producer's daughter that is out to get the FL...What did she even do? like her character was just entitled and liked the ML because she got screamed at by the FL..pftt no way

5. No depth to any characters...other than the one person i mentioned earlier everyone (leads) are 2 dimensional, their reason for falling for one another and staying together are just as vague to me

6. Using skinship to compensate for lack of originality. Xu Ruohan's previous drama "Forbidden Flower" also had its fair share of skinship but in that genre it felt right (if ykyk) but in this drama it just felt like a cheap attempt to make a fluffy basic drama into a "mature" one

All in all I think some will like this some will not, I found myself skipping a lot of scenes but that could just be attributed to the fact that I have seen quite a lot of shows with similar plots. So, if you have a lot of time but nothing to watch, watch this..I would recommend binge watching since you might forget it exists if you don't watch it for long💀

Lire davantage

Unrealistic storyline and so cheesey with mediocre acting, but watchable.

Go-Back-Lover is a rom-com that starts with Xu Ruo Han and Li Yun Rui as high school lovers who fell out of love during their university days. They got back together on a reality show where the ML is one of the investors, and the FL is the producer of its reality show. The story is unrealistic, and the 2nd and 3rd couples were annoying and unnecessary; their storylines were ridiculous. The acting of the entire cast was mediocre.

It is lame and cliche. If you want to kill time, engage in this drama. Else, don't do it.

Synopsis: Upon returning to her old high school, Shen Xing Ruo moved into her father's friend's home, where she met his son Lu Xing Yan. While the two didn't initially get along, they became closer as they spent more time together, eventually deciding to date. However, the relationship didn't last, and they broke up during university. Years later, now both adults with their own lives, they reunite - on a dating reality show. Despite the passage of time and their rocky past, they can't ignore the sparks that still fly between them. Will Xing Ruo and Xing Yan manage to make things work this time? Or is their romance best left behind?

My Reviews:
1. Mediocre acting and a bad script
2. The plot is unrealistic. All 3 CPs must be on a reality show to Go Back as lovers.
3. It was not funny, and so cheesy and cliche, and the acting of the entire ensemble was so-so.
4. I give it a 5.0 rating.

Lire davantage

was really pleasantly surprised...??

I have watched many many modern cdramas before and in general most of them are super cliche and many have repetitive plots. So I usually only watch it when I want to watch something light and casual.

I started this drama with low expectations but surprisingly it surpassed them. First of all because it was rated as 7.7 i thought it must be really boring cause dramas which were more boring are rated much higher. I would say this drama deserves at least a 8~8.2/10.

Of course everyone knows and can easily predict the plot. But i felt the way it was executed was good which made me still want to continue and not skip like I usually do with a lot of modern cdramas. Firstly, the screentime distribution for all 3 couples was handled really well. It was not the case where one couple is given extremely long attention without moving on to the next couple. It was filmed in a way where all 3 couples might be facing different issues and they were trying to solve it together. So this helped to keep my attention on the episodes.

Next I liked how they first show the problem, let the individual reflect and then show how they resolve it. The misunderstandings are not just resolved by a simple "oh im sorry i love you" kind off statement but they actually reflect and try to compromise to resolve their issue and understand each other.

The leads were really good. Their acting really made it look quite natural! Loved that the female lead wasnt a damsel in distress but was actually fierce smart and strong. The male lead was extremely loyal to her as well so he was really cute to watch. Started by being annoyed by her but turned into the most golden retriever for her. Both of them had their issues, both were sometimes wrong hence the process of them realising that was nice to watch. Although one downside was when they were in an "ambiguous" relationship, it felt weird cause I couldnt really understand what the FL wanted to do moving forward. And I think the ML just decided to go with it thinking that one day eventually she would want to marry. But yea they eventually solve this as their last issue.

Overall it was unexpectedly a very cute drama to watch. Alot of sweet moments. There are some annoying villains but yea it wont be a drama without them so...in the end the last episode is really cute and a very happy ending.

Lire davantage

Desvendando as nuances do amor

Onde começa e termina o amor? Qual é a maneira correta de amar alguém? Já perceberam que quando o assunto é amar ou estar apaixonado, cada pessoa tem uma experiência diferente e nenhum relacionamento é igual? Existem aqueles que estão destinados a ficar com o seu primeiro amor e alguns que ficarão com aquele amor novo e ingênuo, alguns acabam caindo em armadilhas que acham que é amor mas é, na verdade, uma possessão sobre uma ideia ou uma pessoa que você acredita ser real. Além disso, tem aquele amor que chega a ser tóxico a ponto de que, em algum momento, vamos nos perguntar se é realmente amor. E são esses alguns dos questionamentos e reflexões que Go Back Lover, o drama chinês de 2024 que contém apenas 24 episódios, traz em meio a um cenário revigorante e de casais energéticos.

Quando iniciei Go Back Lover eu estava no escuro, esse é um dos dramas sorteados aleatoriamente por mim para eu começar sem nem mesmo ler a sinopse e não foi difícil entender rapidamente que se tratava de uma história de amor, mas não uma história de amor convencional e, sim, uma narrativa que iria destrinchar o que é o amor. Nele somos apresentados a Shen Xing Rou (Xu Ruo Han), uma produtora de programas de variedades que está à caça dos personagens perfeitos para constituir seu mais novo reality show e, atrelado a ela temos o seu ex-namorado, Lu Xing Yan (Li Yun Rui), o gerente de um resort que ainda é apaixonado por sua ex-namorada.

O destino desses dois foi marcado por altos e baixos, muito amor, companheirismo, mas também imaturidade que acaba vindo atrelada com amadurecimento com o passar do tempo. Com personalidades contrastes, sendo ela a pessoa ‘fria’ e ele a pessoa ‘calorosa’ vemos a história de amor deles, que inicia ainda aos 18 anos, quando ele se declara a ela e eles logo começam a namorar, passados os anos, a distância advinda da vida universitária e a consequente insegurança de jovens no início dos seus 20 anos, eles acabam por romper seus laços, mas aí que nos perguntamos, o fato deles terem colocado fim na relação no calor do momento, realmente fez o laços que eles construíram ao longo de mais de cinco anos vivendo juntos e compartilhando sentimentos, vai ser cortado facilmente?

O romance entre Shen Xing Rou e Lu Xing Yan é construído de forma envolvente e gradual, alternando entre flashbacks emocionantes e interações presentes que revelam a profundidade de seu vínculo. A trama nos mostra o início de um amor jovem e impulsivo, marcado pela intensidade dos sentimentos na adolescência, e como esse amor evolui ao longo dos anos. A química entre eles é palpável, e o drama explora com sutileza as nuances de uma relação interrompida pelas incertezas e desafios da juventude.

A história evidencia a bela desenvoltura de um amor ingênuo que amadurece com o tempo. Quando eram jovens, tudo era incerto; eles estavam se descobrindo e explorando o mundo, com sentimentos aflorados. No entanto, quando se depararam com grandes problemas, preferiram se separar. Poderiam ter enfrentado juntos, mas a distância talvez tenha sido o que precisavam para se entenderem melhor como indivíduos e se amarem mais antes de amarem um ao outro. Em cada encontro, revisitam memórias, relembrando momentos de alegria e mágoa, despertando nostalgia e o desejo de seguir em frente. Vendo esse processo de redescoberta, carregado de maturidade, refleti bastante a ideia de que um amor verdadeiro e genuíno pode transcender o tempo, apesar dos erros do passado e dos corações partidos.

A história de Go Back Lover não se concentra apenas no romance entre Shen Xing Rou e Lu Xing Yan, mas também em um retrato mais amplo do amadurecimento emocional dos personagens, que é explorado através das experiências dos três casais principais, e dos dois secundários. Cada um dos personagens enfrenta suas próprias incertezas e desafios não só como indivíduos, mas também dentro de um relacionamento, esse fator reflete na ideia da complexidade do amor na juventude e na vida adulta.

No caso de Shen Xing Rou, mesmo tendo prometido estar ao lado de Lu Xing Yan, ela hesitava em se comprometer totalmente. O trauma do divórcio de seus pais deixou marcas profundas, fazendo com que ela visse o casamento com receio e incerteza. Embora testemunhasse relacionamentos felizes ao seu redor, ela ainda lutava contra dúvidas internas e considerava o casamento algo distante. Em contraste, Lu Xingyan, que cresceu em um lar harmonioso, via o casamento como um passo natural e a expressão máxima do amor entre duas pessoas.

A relação de Xu Cheng Zhou (Ryan Ren) e Chen Zhu (Wang Yi Jin) exemplifica como a falta de comunicação pode corroer um relacionamento. Juntos desde a adolescência, eles nunca chegaram a terminar, a dinâmica entre eles foi se desgastando ao longo do tempo até que resolveram pôr um fim em uma celebração de separação, mas ainda com palavras não ditas e sentimentos não impostos. As constantes brigas mostram como a falta de entendimento mútuo e a dificuldade em se abrir um para o outro, criaram um misto de desconfiança e frustração. À medida que os desafios da vida adulta se acumulam, a ausência de conversas significativas intensifica a distância entre eles, tornando a relação um campo de batalhas.

Já Shi Qin (Duan Yu) e He Si Yue (Xia Hao Ran) trazem à tona as dificuldades enfrentadas por aqueles que lidam com a timidez e a ansiedade social. Shi Qin, que saiu de um relacionamento tóxico que a feriu tanto fisicamente quanto mentalmente, se mostra hesitante em se abrir para um novo amor. Sua insegurança a impede de seguir em frente, enquanto He Si Yue, igualmente tímido, também luta com seus próprios medos e receios. O relacionamento deles é como uma paz no meio do caos que são os demais casais, ele é fofo e ingênuo, mas também é um processo de aprendizado e confiança, onde ambos precisam se esforçar para vencer suas próprias barreiras emocionais.

Cada um dos casais do drama contribuem para essa narrativa, cada um representando diferentes visões sobre o amor e o compromisso. Por meio de suas histórias, o drama investiga como as experiências individuais moldam as expectativas e os medos relacionados aos relacionamentos. A interação entre esses personagens destaca a importância do autoconhecimento e do crescimento pessoal, mostrando que a verdadeira maturidade emocional envolve compreender não apenas o amor pelos outros, mas também o amor-próprio e a capacidade de enfrentar os próprios medos e inseguranças.

Um ponto positivo do drama é o fato dele trazer um cenário diferente de pano de fundo: um reality show de amigos de colegial que eram namorados/se gostavam na adolescência, permitindo que revisitem sentimentos não resolvidos e confrontem questões passadas. E, em meio a este programa, vemos o equilíbrio de um romance de segunda chance com personagens falhos e profundamente humanos. A cinematografia encantadora e a trilha sonora também criam uma atmosfera que intensifica as cenas românticas, muitas vezes parecendo videoclipes devido à harmonia entre visuais e música, enquanto os flashbacks curtos do tempo de escola acrescentam um toque nostálgico sem quebrar o ritmo da trama.

Mas, veja bem, não estou falando que Go Back Lover é um drama perfeito, a produção pesa a mão quando o assunto é clichês e personagens femininas vingativas, inclusive, usam um recurso que eu não gosto quando colocam terceiros no relacionamento do casal, que é o fato de colocarem o secundário masculino como uma pessoa calma e boa que entende que não vai ter uma chance, enquanto a mulher é vista como descompensada que fará de tudo para ficar com o cara, mesmo que tenha que sofrer as consequências disso depois.

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A Topsy-Turvy Show Splashed with Frustrating yet Shitty Characters

(Disclaimer: This rant is purely based on my opinion, so please don’t take it wholeheartedly and come bashing at me, okay?)

As we can see very well, Go Back Lover’s title is hinting on second chance romance trope, which is no stranger to C-drama veterans. To be honest, I’m not a great fan of this trope because in my principle, if you’re having a relationship, there’s no turning back. So, I’m quite surprised by this theme and wonder how these ex-lovers are going to reunite and resolve their past misunderstandings.

In addition, to make the show more unique, the writer decides to introduce a romance/dating variety show as the catalyst for the plot development. In fact, a dating variety show is somehow rare in C-dramas nowadays and I must say it’s such an interesting premise. However, it quickly goes downhill and becomes a mere plot device to fill in the draggy episodes. I don’t know why, but there’s a lot of things happening outside the variety show too, with some of them being irrelevant or unrelated to the show itself.

And don’t get me started at the horrible dumbass characters! Some people say that they’re not without flaws (yes, I do agree with that), but at least they have to realize their own mistake and being unaware of it makes them look like a bunch of 10-year-old-kid especially main leads and second couple (the SFL, to be precise).

(Note: I'm not going to mention the acting since my review has become an endless rant. However, I still appreciate their acting skills for embodying such characters, so kudos for all of you.)

The first couple is a pair of ex-lovers who broke up after ML had a private brawl with FML (fourth male lead), which the FL didn’t appreciate very much. They accidentally encounter each other again in the airport when FL is attempting to find a male guest for her variety show. Rumors later spark out of nowhere and many people obviously want them to be together once again after ML’s failed proposal in Race Against Time (another variety show which was produced before FL went to German). The ML was indeed thrilled when he saw FL again, but his feelings wasn’t reciprocated at all. The FL keeps repeating that she is forced to do so because she wants her variety show to gain more popularity, while the ML begins to behave like a simp out of nowhere, even loses his self-respect for FL. This push-pull dynamic drags out for the whole 18 episodes until the elderly rural couple manage to convince the FL of marriage. I understand that FL has suffered from PTSD because of her parents’ failed marriage, but as the saying goes,' You won’t know unless you try.' So, she should’ve taken the initiative instead of letting the ML hanging on the thread. She’s also a horrible hypocrite (today she says she wants to be together with the ML, and the other day she pushes him away) and keeps dilly dallying for time (in a very harsh way, she regards ML as her plaything and will dump him whenever she feels necessary) when all they need is a proper communication or heart-to-heart talk instead of doing everything in a roundabout way. It’s just so, so frustrating to watch them and I just keep sighing exasperatedly whenever they pop out of my screen. By the way, they also remind me of Binary Love's main couple which is more or less similar as them.

Same goes for the second (divorced) couple – however, SML still knows his boundaries well and only wants to treat his wife better, but his so-called wife never gives him the chance to redeem himself. Throughout the show, they just keep yelling and shouting at each other (a perfect example of a bickering couple), which is not a very good option. By the way, SFL always acts like a pouty selfish girl who wants better treatment from SML yet never telling him what she wants exactly, which often leaves the SML baffled and confused (they also need proper communication so it relieves me when SFL apologizes to him and they ultimately fix their ruined relationship and become more tolerant towards each other). Since the second couple isn’t the main focus on the show, I think I can skip my rant about them right now.

Third couple is the healthiest couple in this show. As someone who is a shy and introverted person, I can understand what does it feels like to have your daily lives exposed to the public. At first, they’re uncomfortable of it, but they manage to overcome their fears together and become a couple while strengthening their trusts between each other.

Unofficial fourth couple must be the worst out of the couples in this show. FML is FL’s snobbish know-it-all male friend and the biggest rival of ML. He has a secret crush on FL so he deliberately provokes ML which doesn’t succeed, anyway. FFL is the bitchy lawyer and former arch-rival of FL since their high school time (as the saying goes, she's a wolf in the sheep clothing). Feeling resentful of being the third to best (don't forget, there's TML in the second place), FFL resorts to underhanded tactics to ruin FL’s career (what a baffling and cliche execution lol).

I have no idea whether inputting past events with the present one is good idea, but the writer seems to have change the entire script and doesn’t put much emphasize on the former, which is quite disappointing because I love that part better than their present lives.

The sets and backgrounds are quite pleasant while the costumes are sort of… weird? Do people nowadays have to wear baggy coats and professional suits to shoot variety shows, huh?

OSTs are meh and I won’t be bothered to give them second chance.

Overall, it’s a 6.5 out of 10. Unless you’re a fan of ML or FL or perhaps you need some brainless watch after days of working out, you can give this a shot. However, if you don't want to waste your precious brain cells, NEVER watch this HOT MESS even if the world is turning upside down. Goodbye and good luck!

Side note:
Does funeral and divorce need a ceremonial party? WTF are they thinking about? It's beyond common logic, isn't it?

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