"Copywriting | Iron Editor | Huang Mao Describes the Chinese Drama Market of 2023 as 'Starting Strong and Finishing Weak,' and nothing could be more accurate. In the first half of the year, Chinese dramas released a series of blockbusters such as 'Kuang Biao' ('Racing'), 'Man Chang de Ji Jie' ('The Long Season'), 'San Ti' ('The Three-Body Problem'), and more. From crime-fighting to suspense to science fiction, each genre had its representative works. 'The Hope,' as the grand finale drama, tells the story of a gold-medal teacher leading a group of troubled teenagers to achieve a remarkable turnaround in their college entrance exams.

It's not difficult to see that the audience's positive reviews mainly focus on two aspects. First is the pacing and portrayal of the student characters. The plot of the entire drama is fast-paced and never drags, with only two episodes airing so far, yet all the main characters' traits, experiences, major conflicts, and more have been fully presented. 'The Hope' captures the essence of youth dramas, where the students in their prime youth are the protagonists on screen.

Almost all the photos hanging on the wall are solo pictures of Cheng Yu Shan's younger brother, and she is not even present in the family photo. The story is not melodramatic, it has a high-quality feel, comfortable filters, and it captures conflicts from simple daily life, making the drama naturally appealing. Criticisms: the plot feels superficial, and some performances are lacking. 'The Hope' is certainly not perfect, but with positive reviews, there are bound to be negative ones as well.

"Some stereotypes about high school life are quite prominent." "The plot and performances are exaggerated." "Lacks originality." "The plot follows the same old pattern." "Feels out of place." However, one of Lei Ming's requirements was, "I'll choose the students in the class myself." Of course, other geniuses have yet to appear, and rather than calling them underachievers, it's more accurate to say they are talented individuals who haven't found their right path yet. It's difficult for ordinary viewers to empathize with the idea that these students can achieve a remarkable turnaround in a matter of minutes.

What's more critical is that despite the theme of "anti-discrimination" towards underachieving students, the process of "meticulous selection" has ironically become another form of discrimination, seemingly indicating that ordinary students can never achieve a turnaround solely through the college entrance exam. Cheng Yu Shan grew up in a reconstituted family, overlooked by her stepfather, and her biological mother focused all her attention on Cheng Yu Shan's half-brother. In such circumstances, Cheng Yu Shan can only think of marriage as a way to change her fate.

Secondly, the casting and acting skills are subpar. 'The Hope' tells the story of teenagers, but these young actors in the drama look old enough to have children. Take Wang Qiang, who plays Li Ran, for example. At 27 years old, he portrays a 17-year-old high school student in the drama, and even in a school uniform, he lacks the youthful aura.

Based on the first few episodes aired, 'The Hope' has a narrative setup that sometimes loses its focus, trying too hard to establish a connection with ordinary people and excessively magnifying those relatable elements, which leads to a distortion of the plot. However, this drama has its fair share of strengths. For instance, it devotes a significant amount of time depicting the images of the teenagers, avoiding melodrama, romance, or biases. The main storyline revolves around the students' triumph, which is refreshing. The initial episodes have a sense of anxiety, growth, and friendship, which greatly align with the audience's preferences.

Currently, only two episodes of 'The Hope' have aired, and the future reception is still uncertain. What do you think? Do you find this drama captivating?"