Lazy Unnie’s Couch: A Love So Beautiful

A Love So Beautiful

It starts off with high school classmates Chen Xiao Xi and Jiang Chen who are also neighbors. Xiao Xi, a cheerful girl who doesn’t study much, is expressive about her admiration towards Jiang Chen, the popular guy known for his looks and high grades. Together with their fellow classmates the funny Lu Yang, athletic but loyal Jingjing, and cool swimming team member Wu Bo Song, they embark on high school life to university until their adult life.

I wasn’t going to watch this. Shen Yue left a bad taste in my mouth after watching most of Meteor Garden. But having started Go Go Squid, I saw Hu Yi Tian and knew we were meant to be, so I had to at least give it a chance. So glad I listened to my heart and not my brain.

ALSB is basically the kind of good feel, youth to adulthood love story you crave when you need to be reminded that growing up is hard but could also be great when you have the right people in your life.

Even with the love triangle, I found myself invested deeply in this drama. Chen Xiao Xi’s love for Jiang Chen was so visible, astronauts from space could see it. But it was the subtle love Jiang Chen had for Xiao Xi that kept me going. My heart would skip a beat every time he was caught staring a bit too long, or finding ways they could have some sort of contact.

I hate love triangles if they’re done poorly. This one wasn’t at all. Yes, there were times when Wu Bo Song got in the way of my OTP but I really cared for his and Xiao Xi’s friendship.

Outside of the romantic aspects of the group dynamic, there was real-life shit happening and I was really happy about how they portrayed it. You had themes of school pressure, depression, divorce, illness, first loves, parental pressures, and even abandonment. All of these things were happening and was dealt with in a realistic way that really made me fall for the characters more.

Speaking of characters, the whole cast was incredible. The friend group that consisted of Jiang Chen, Chen Xiao Xi, Lin Jing Xiao, Lu Yang and Wu Bo Song. Each of them had their own small dynamics without over powering one another. Lu Yang was great at bringing the comedy but he also brought me to tears on multiple occasions. Lin Jing Xiao was probably my favorite outside of Jiang Chen. She was the badass smart girl that you just wish you were in school. She loved quietly but fiercely.

There were times when I was frustrated with the obstacles that were thrown in the way of Jiang Chen and Chen Xiao Xi, like Li Wei. Boo, Hiss! But ultimately, I was left very happy and would definitely rewatch this one.