071922

I've been eyeing for this drama for so long. I still remember the first time I saw it and if I'm going to be honest, my first impression wasn't really impressive as it seems. I had these thoughts "Why do I feel like it won't exceed my expectations?" "Do they really have a good chemistry?" For someone who's fond or a sucker of the youth genre, I kept on questioning myself whether I should continue or not anymore (even though I only have watched a few of the episodes, around two to three or three to four). I don't know exactly why I felt that way, it's like I couldn't feel the drama at all but couldn't find the sole reason for it. However, one thing's for sure, I know for a fact that having those thoughts made me feel negative about it and yes, I was right. I immediately dropped it without giving it a chance and seriously, that was one of the biggest mistakes I've ever done. As months passed by, I started forgetting about it, and really, if I can go back in time, I think I would call myself out for being hypercritical and off. Now that I had the opportunity (which is already too late i guess?) I took it and I did not hesitate to start it all over again.

Stepping into the drama, I wouldn't say much because a lot of people here already voiced out what I had to share and I definitely agree with most of them. It's a 9 out of 10 for me because there were a lot of strong points which made it different than the usual such as the gradual formation of different relationships, a sensible slice-of-life plot, and the flamboyant portrayal of the characters. Not to mention, it wasn't a pain in the neck or problematic compared to other dramas that I've watched, to the point that I could just honestly count how many times I felt mad, sad, or disappointed whenever I put myself in the shoes of the different characters. In short, little to no issues. I've watched a couple of youth dramas but this has to be one of the best. The only thing that caught me off guard was the last few episodes. Just like others, I still have a lot of questions in my mind. It was too sudden or rushed, and wasn't able to give justice to most of them. It felt as if they gave that positive ending (Shi Yi and Xiaoju as well as Le Tao and Bao Bao) just to satisfy the viewers, you know, to make us happy. Of course, I would also be glad if I could get a good ending but that wasn't what I've expected it to be. The sudden jumps really threw me off that even the natural side of it became unrealistic in a way. It's such a pity because it felt like the whole drama turned into waste but then, by all means, I wouldn't let that as a reason to say that it was exceptionally good. Despite all these, I love(d) the characters and the actors and actresses who portrayed them. I enjoyed the acting, the music, the scenes (especially Shi Yi and Xiaoju's slow-motion scenes), and most importantly, the lessons in life. Who would've thought that with the many dramas that I've watched, I could still find realizations for this? Let alone that I'm picky towards dramas (even movies, series, shows or whatever it is)

Nonetheless, I would certainly recommend this. If you wanted to kill your time, this is a good thing to spend it with. Although I would like to add, please don't be dismayed by the episodes. I think it's normal since 1 episode for them is like 30-40 minutes so 2 episodes for them can be just one episode for other dramas.

Anyway, hoping for more dramas with these actors and actresses.

"Everyone is running towards each other without realizing someone's running behind them too." A comment I found in YT that I would commend because it is exactly how the drama was, which explains or explained why the title is a river runs through it.