The Hope Reviews

The plot really hooks you in. I never expected a drama where you can't find a single happy family. Cheng Yu Shan, who is under surveillance; Li Ran, whose dreams are shattered; Yu Yang, who is bullied; Shen Yao, whose mind is twisted.
Isn't this much more realistic than that Guo Jingfei drama?

The scripts chosen by Zhang Ruoyun are of good quality, and his portrayal of the character Lei Ming is very natural. He is not just an educator; he gives me the impression of someone who cares for and helps these students from a friend's perspective.
They have a teacher-student relationship, but it also feels like they are friends.

Though it's difficult to make a "startling" debut, one can also quietly await the rising tide while "gliding" through the shallows. Because, dear "youth," what you never lack is the courage to defy fate.
The struggles of the high school years, the dreams of counterattack, the unwavering determination of "I control my own destiny," they are vividly and incredibly clear. This is a gift to my past self, to those in the drama, and to every "youthful dragon" in reality.

The opening summary of the legend "A Bright Future from a Humble Background" struck a chord with me. It reminds me of some typical examples among my friends.
In addition, topics such as vocational college recruitment, cooperative education, and social experiments are also mentioned. It's evident that this drama intends to explore various themes, and I look forward to seeing them unfold further in the subsequent episodes.

Without going into too much detail, it's really good that the female lead is a psychologist. The fact that the production team considered this aspect is commendable. Also, when she mentioned being a "screw," it actually represents the school's lack of emphasis on students' mental well-being, right?
I wonder if there will be any changes in the future. By the way, Huang Yao is delightful in whatever role she plays. Just for her, I can continue watching.

It's been a while since I've seen a school drama like this. It feels like a nostalgic dream. I just watched the first episode, and it delves into the detailed story of the male lead's plan to establish Class 11. The overall visual quality is top-notch, and the set design feels authentic and down-to-earth.

It seems like Sang Xia and Lei Ming are set up as frenemies. Sang Xia goes on and on while they're on the road, talking about educational philosophies and advising Lei Ming to give up, but all Lei Ming hears is how to get to the cafeteria quickly.
The interaction between these two really cracks me up.

I was quite looking forward to it before it aired, and so far, it has definitely lived up to my expectations! Being rebellious and thinking you have a strong opinion is just the essence of passionate youth, right? Watching them exude youthfulness in the drama, with their clumsy and mistake-prone actions, suddenly makes me nostalgic for my own high school life.
Looking back now, it was pretty great.

Watched it with anticipation. Started watching because of Zhang Ruo Yun and Wang Qiang, but the theme turned out to be like this... Who is this drama even targeting? High school students? They're too busy...
Parents of students? Can't capture their attention in five minutes... Tried to focus and watch an episode, but it lacked any originality. Abandoned it ????

I can totally empathize. No wonder Cheng Yu Shan wants to escape from this family. It's so suffocating. Her stepfather is handsy, her mother shows little concern, and everyone except her gets to live on the second floor. Who wouldn't want to run away from such a household?
My poor baby... it's really heartbreaking.

I don't watch many dramas with the theme of college entrance exams, but Zhang Ruo Yun guarantees quality. After watching a few episodes, I found it quite good. As soon as it enters the school campus, it captures that atmosphere.
The classmates who sneakily try to hide their phones and engage in little tricks, it reminds me of the high school life where we challenged teachers with wit and courage. Haha.

Student, teacher, school, family, reality, and ideals—all of these reflect the social discussions we have. It's not the clichéd black-and-white, right or wrong, but a portrayal of real life.
The actors' visuals are very impactful. The second collaboration between Ding Hei and Zhang Ruo Yun has definitely earned a spot on my must-watch list.

So far, the overall quality feels quite good. I'm interested in the theme of counterattack. Although it may sound idealistic, I'm glad that I watched a special feature that mentioned real-life cases, which makes it more believable.
The first episode was decent, so let's see how it develops in the future.

The division between red and blue is not about schools, but rather the divide between social classes and family backgrounds. The differences between the two teachers represent two distinct educational philosophies in society.
Musk has an engineer father who owns a mine, but what do we, the young people in our small town, have?

I have a feeling that this will be a high-quality drama. So far, it seems to be one of those stories that unfolds slowly and steadily. Lei Ming's preparations to establish Class 11 and the stories of the students coexist, and the plot flows quite smoothly.
I heard that a lot of research went into crafting this story, and it does come across as quite authentic when watching it.

Following the director Ding Hei and Zhang Ruo Yun's collaboration, this drama has a great texture, which is a big plus. Moreover, Zhang Ruo Yun is perfectly in his comfort zone with this type of role. He appears very relaxed and chilled.
I particularly want to see him "tame" a few problematic students, and together they overcome numerous challenges, achieving enlightenment or finding inner peace. It's going to be an exciting journey!

If I remember correctly, when Lei Ming learned that Cheng Yu Shan had thoughts of escaping from her family, he persuaded her to join Class 11 and said, "The college entrance examination is the highest cost-effective and lowest-cost choice." When you feel lost about your future direction, having a teacher like that to lend you a helping hand is really empowering.

The story is quite captivating. Two teachers guide a group of students with unique characteristics through their growth and transformation. The concept is great, and it brings up interesting topics.
I'm not sure if they'll ultimately succeed in their comeback, but the process itself is very intriguing. I will continue following it.

It's a common problem in Chinese dramas. The so-called "life" depicted in these dramas is always the idealized high school life imagined by the screenwriters. The main character group is always the same, from their character designs to their actions and even their backgrounds.
While it's not impossible to find such individuals in high school, can a drama that portrays these exceptions as the representative of the entire group truly resonate with the audience?

The approach they take is quite interesting. If they delve deeper into topics like educational equality, changes in the system, and a transformation of study attitudes, even a slightly exaggerated comeback would be acceptable. At least Zhang Ruo Yun's intelligence and determination are sufficient.
However, it still feels a bit conventional, with the emphasis on prestigious schools following the rules and ordinary schools being portrayed as full of jokes and maybe even pretending to be academic achievers just for the sake of appearances in the spring.

Huang Yao's smile is really terrifying, like lines from a horror movie. Did they change it? There are several parts where the lip-sync doesn't match.

Zhang Ruo Yun's white hair is quite unattractive.
It turns the Japanese-style passionate comeback into realism.

It will only make Chinese students indulge in fantasies.

I was surprisingly touched after reading the popular comments because I noticed at least five years ago that Zhang Ruoyun only loves to play the role of a powerful male lead with cheat-like abilities, and he acts so greasy and nauseating.
Finally, other people have also realized it... When Fang Touming imitated Yang Yang and became famous, after a long time, everyone finally discovered the true face of Yang Yang. I can imagine how she must have felt.
My current mood is exactly like that.

It's somewhat reminiscent of "Dragon Zakura" and "Eighteen-Year-Old Sky," but it lacks the same quality and feeling. Mainly because the mainland (referring to Mainland China) can't capture that particular essence in this genre.
After all, the reality of students in mainland dramas is there, but it always feels somewhat out of place when portrayed.

One is a wealthy young master, the other is the son of a nanny, living under the same roof. Well, well, it's like a BL version of "The Heirs"... No wonder it's a product of the digging machine. This setting is indeed addictive, but I don't recommend the official promotion to take this direction.
If high school boys' love starts to be widely promoted, it will die faster than the yaoi genre. The marketing direction has shifted, leading to this drama being successful in the late-night time slot.

Disgusting plot, disgusting lead actor, and that consistently pretentious acting of the lead. The overhyped acting that falls flat. I've truly opened my eyes. What are they even portraying?
Are they insulting the intelligence of the audience, or what? You turned a respectable teacher into what? Do you think people have never seen a teacher before? Even high school students are being degraded.
This whole thing is a pile of garbage! It's truly laughable and infuriating!

Awkward, it's really awkward. Those of us who have watched "Long Sakura" on the internet haven't disappeared yet. There's simply no foundation in China for remaking the plot. Why bother filming it?
The male lead's belief that he can go from last place to entering Tsinghua University within a year makes people want to throw rotten eggs.

I'll tell you a true story. This drama was filmed in my high school, and the story revolves around a group of underachievers who successfully enter a top university.
However, in reality, at this school, as a former "underachiever" myself, I was constantly discouraged by teachers with countless reasons, fearing that I would affect the school's admission rate.
This starkly highlights the biggest difference between this drama and reality.

Can't say it's ugly, but it's just absurd and speechless! The formula for high school entrance exam dramas nowadays is pairing up a problem teacher with a psychology teacher, leading a group of students with troubled family backgrounds to make a comeback!
"The Days of Chasing the Light" next door at least had a more normal plot, acting, and BGM. Is this drama just too juvenile? Watching it feels utterly confusing.

At the moment, I really can't continue watching. I don't know why, but Zhang is just not suitable for this role. It's probably intended for an audience like parents.

Upon further thought, it seems like a way for a certain education bureau to present a good year-end performance. They will likely receive some highly praised news and be praised by CCTV.
It's always like this, appearances can be deceiving.

Seeing Sang Xia and the male lead Lei Ming having equally important roles in the drama, I feel really gratified that society has been paying more and more attention to the mental health of students in recent years. The sensitivity and feelings of inferiority during adolescence are significant issues that should receive more focus and concern.

In the fifth episode, the scene where Yu Yang stands by the bed and recites English words gave me goosebumps. The moment the embarrassing, scrutinized feeling bgm played, it felt divine...
Although this drama currently has many flaws, it's really worth continuing to watch because of certain moments in the fourth and fifth episodes.

The students in this drama seem to embody all the problems I encountered during my high school years—parental control, financial pressure, self-abandonment—but none of them reached the extreme portrayed in the show.
It's a bit dramatized, yet it feels quite reasonable. Only someone extraordinary could create miracles like that!

Did they buy the rights to "Sorry, Youth" together with this? The localization of "Dragon Sakura" wasn't done well enough. The education systems in Japan and China are different, so you can't simply apply it in a crude manner.
It's absurd for the bottom-ranked student in the third year of high school to get into Qingbei University. The underachievers and the prodigies are portrayed in an exaggerated way. However, the suffocating portrayal of each student's dysfunctional family is incredibly realistic.

It's far from reality. What I want to see is the hard work of top students, not the comeback of a genius underachiever. This practically implies that effort is less important than talent.
Why should someone who has worked hard for many years be easily surpassed in just one year? It's not just about one person, but there are five more. How can ordinary people live under such circumstances?

I've noticed many negative comments about the special effects in the comment section, but personally, I feel that this drama is down-to-earth. From many details, you can see that the director and actors put in a lot of effort, especially Zhang Ruo Yun.
Whether it's his acting skills or command of lines, he performs exceptionally well. This winter belongs to the young Ming Long.

After watching the first three episodes, the dialect used in this drama feels a bit strange. They switch between Changde dialect and Changsha dialect, sometimes even mixing in standard Changsha Mandarin... And the portrayal of the college entrance examination feels quite exaggerated, as if it was overly dramatized for the sake of drama...
It feels out of place and inconsistent.

Who hasn't dreamt of attending a top-tier university? I remember our class slogan used to be "Tsinghua, Peking University, beneath my feet." It's natural for people to have goals, and it's important to work hard while staying grounded above and beyond hope.
That's the underlying message this drama wants to convey.

I was unexpectedly touched. In the earlier episodes, seeing Cheng Yu Shan constantly accommodating others in her blended family, even waiting and waiting for her school uniform money, I didn't have much hope. But one day, when she opened the door, I saw her mother's concern.
If it were me, I would truly cry.

A finely crafted and pleasantly surprising drama. Behind each "troubled" student, there is a problematic family environment. It feels close to real life and gives me a sense of peering into hidden corners.
The soundtrack is also impressive. Looking forward to the upcoming plot developments.

The plot feels shallow, and I couldn't resonate with it much while watching. Also, I don't understand why nowadays Chinese dramas keep emphasizing the burdens of one's dysfunctional family.
They constantly promote the idea that those who have had an unfortunate childhood need to spend their entire lives healing from it. It's getting tiresome, as if everyone in real life has suffered from family devastation.

I feel like Zhang Ruo Yun hasn't been in any good dramas since "Medical Examiner Dr. Qin"... "Joy of Life" was like picking concubines, with a mediocre plot, and the scenes in the snow were just terrifying.
And now? His performance in modern dramas is the same as in historical dramas...

It's better than I imagined. I wasn't initially interested in this genre, but in terms of the script, cinematography, pacing, and performances, this drama is impeccable. I quite like it, and it's one of the few Chinese dramas this year that makes me eager to keep watching.

Exploring the concept of the original family, discussing women's issues, and addressing educational problems all seem forced and awkward, as if they are exploring for the sake of exploration. It fails to resonate with the audience.
What a pity...