347. Go Go Squid 亲爱的，热爱的 (2019) Chinese

Yang Zi, Li Xian, Hu Yi Tian, Lee Hong Chi, Li Ze Feng, Chen Xi Jun, Wang Zhen Er

Drama Rating: 7/10     Neck Score: A++

I had to see what all the hype was about. I'm admittedly on one of those weird blah watching kicks where I'm not motivated to watch or especially start much of anything, but this manages to hook me fast enough that I kept watching and then I quickly knew exactly what the hype was about. It's super addictive because you really just fall in love with everyone and especially all the relationships. I mean ALL of them. It's just as much about the friendships as it is about the romance. Also, the romance is absolutely fun to watch because it's two super awkward first timers who don't know what they are doing despite the age difference, and to see them bring out the best in each other and struggle to figure out what to do is pretty darn satisfying.


It is very much an ensemble type show, because we have the male lead, Han Shang Yang, who is the owner of a Capture the Flag e-sport club (think hacking as a sport). So you have his entire team of young, cute hackers who you just love and want to support through all their 20 year old antics (I had a mini crush on Grunt, I think it was the glasses). Then you have Han Shang Yang's old team from when he was a player and their angsty past that has dragged into the present, but even though they are all angsty, you love them too and want them to be friends again. Then you have the female lead, a 20ish year old grad school student who is brilliant at everything, except maybe romance and e-sports. She's got friends and family that you love too. Then you throw everything together when those two meet and get awkwardly involved and the awkwardness just becomes funny and cuteness and it was super fun to watch.

There was a super big hype around Li Xian, who plays our awkward/grumpy gamer, Han Shang Yan. The reasons for the hype are real. He is obviously handsome, but not like blow you away. Then he grows on you the more he slowly opens up and goes from broody to super cute/sappy/in-love and starts learning how to let all those emotions he bottles up express themselves in a natural way. He has a nice growth arch and the part I love about it is that it's pretty natural. He stays himself, awkward and grumpy looking (except when he does that goofy smile) to the end. Also, I love that hairstyle on dudes. It's hot.

I was definitely sold on the show in the first place as soon as I saw it was Yang Zi as the female lead. I loved her in Ode to Joy, and she definitely plays the naive, cutesy girls well, so I knew it would be fun. I have heard that the show made her a little more naive than the book (yes, it is apparently also a novel, which sounds fun) but I think she made it work anyway.

It wasn't perfect, but I can't really think of anything specifically wrong with it (but I did put off writing this for about a week because I was busy, so I don't remember specifics like that). Basically it was fluffy and cute, but not seriously deep or anything. A fun watch. Also, that dude grows on you until he's too cute and sexy for you to handle, especially since that couple has great chemistry so you just die a little from the cuteness.