i watched the original version of MG in 2001 (TWN) starring barbie hsu & jerry yan, as well as the MG 2009 (KOR) starring ku hye sun & lee min ho. now, i'm done watching the first 18 episodes of MG 2018 (CHN) which i want to write a review for those who are curious.

so let me start with the story. i am quite glad that the newest version seemed to keep the original story that i've watched 17 yrs ago. although of course, there are minor changes like with the bullying & violence. everyone who watched the older versions know how shancai was extremely hurt physically by the bullies in her school & sexually harassed by dao ming si. but with the new version, those dark parts were changed into a softer ones. i guess the production simply considered their target audience which are the young ones so i think that's quite good. i also appreciated that they applied & showcased the modern way of how young people live & act nowadays involving social media, etc.

next is the cast.

• shen yue is undeniably cute in this drama! which is why her acting is somehow different in the original character of shancai who is supposed to be a boyish and a lot braver. her character as shancai turned out to be more of a cutie & innocent that i still see her character in her previous drama, a love so beautiful. maybe she needs to give more emotion to compete with barbie hsu's heavy drama acting skill. but i'm glad that shen yue showcased her talent in drama this time that is not much seen in ALSB.

• dylan wang, on the other hand, deserves a chance to prove himself as the new dao ming si. actually, his face really suit his character which is an arrogant spoiled brat, that when the pictures of the new cast appeared online, i somehow guessed that he would be the one for the role of DMS. i also like how this young actor tried to imitate & keep the remarkable & adorable facial expressions of the previous actors (JY, LMH) who played the role of DMS. there are actually scenes that i see jerry yan in him, especially in scenes where he tries to hide the kilig feels. though i wish he gained more weight before starting this drama since DMS should appear as very masculine, physically strong & someone to be feared.

• darren chen as hua ze lei is also good. like dylan, his angelic face also perfectly suit his role as the very timid & softest member of F4. i also noticed that he is able to imitate the clothing & movement (especially the walk) of HZL from MG 2001.

• the other cast are just okay for me. the other 2 members of F4 in the new version did well in acting although meizuo & xi men from MG 2001 are more playful and carefree. the mom of shancai in this version also seemed to be more poised compared to the veeeery talkative & naughty mom in MG 2001. and oops! i love the latest actress who played the older sister of DMS (who is barbie hsu's older sister in real life)! she added more personality to the character making it more fun to watch. the actor who played xhing ha is also good & perfect for the role!

lastly is the music. i was quite surprised that they included an english song (river) on the drama which is played everytime there will be a tension or fighting scene. i wish they just stick with their local songs coz it brings a different & unfamiliar feels and seem to eliminate the feeling that i am watching a chinese drama. but overall, i love the other songs used in this version. they are all catchy & and i do really get an LSS. also appreciated that they included ni yao de ai (ost of MG 2001) which really brings back the old feels of the heartbreaking scenes of the past.

overall, it's not that heavy drama just like the older versions but still a must watch drama esp if you prefer romantic, comical & lighthearted stories with a touch of drama.

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