Put Your Head on My Shoulder

I actually started Put Your Head on My Shoulder back in November when I went to visit mom. I had saved some episodes on my phone via Netflix for the airplane and did manage two episodes, but they also had Parasite and Innocent Witness, so...

I had been wanting to watch it for a while after seeing clips of it that seemed really sweet. I didn't wind up watching any while at mom's as I spent the whole time visiting with her and/or cleaning her house / organising her finances / straightening out her bills / throwing away expired food. And for some reason I haven't watched any since I got back. But, hey, let's talk about the show first.

It's a Chinese drama about young adults at university (and, I think, after they graduate?). Situ Mo is about to graduate but she wants to do something entirely different from what she majored in. So she's trying to balance finding something in the field she wants (advertising?) with finishing up school. She has a guy friend that she's liked since high school and they've kinda flirted with a relationship, but never actually gone there. Through circumstances, she winds up bumping into Gu Weiyi (a roommate of her guy friend, a certifiable genius, and your classic taciturn dude with the heart of gold for the right girl).

That dude she's liked for years? Totally takes her for granted. Maybe he thinks they'll date someday, maybe not. Hard to say. But it's definitely true that he gets jealous as soon as Gu Weiyi is involved in her life.

I know from the clips I've seen that somehow Situ Mo and Gu Weiyi wind up living together and cohabitation hijinks ensue. But, like I mentioned earlier, I've only seen two episodes so far. I'd say that the show has promise. It looks like it will be very sweet and pretty predictable. The leads actually have decent chemistry together. Acting is also fine; not that overact-y style that some Chinese dramas have.

Can't say why I haven't watched more of it yet. I definitely plan on finishing it. There are 24 episodes at 40ish minutes each, which actually makes it really good for exercising. If I had to guess, it's because I'm not in the headspace for a coming of age / first love kind of story at the moment. In fact, since I got the elliptical, I've picked back up with When the Camellia Blooms.

But I wanted to at least get this on the list so I don't forget it. It definitely seems worth a watch for when I'm in the right place for it. And the leads are just adorable.

Edit 9 May: Watched another episode of this today, though had to go back and re-watch the end of the 2nd episode because it had been so long. It is cute. The cohabitation starts in this episode, which was sooner than I had anticipated. Not sure yet if I'm going to keep on with this right now or start something new...

Edit 12 May: Through episodes 7 and 8 now (83 minutes, 1015 calories). I decided to keep on with it as it seemed suitably light for my very dark mood. It's very sweet so far. Previous crush dude is now regretting his asshole-ness but it's too late (though one of Situ Mo's friends likes him now, though I don't know why as he's pretty whiney--though we did see why, in part, in the last episode as his dad is a true wanker). Gu Weiyi has been gradually falling more and more, though he hasn't admitted it or really tried to show it to Situ Mo as yet (other than in little, subtle ways). Though he did put crush dude on notice that he's interested.

They are hinting at one of Weiyi's fellow students having a crush on him, but at least she doesn't seem the evil bitch type. He's not interested in her, though she'd be the one that would "seem" like a good fit for him as they are into the same kinds of things.

The scenes with Situ Mo's mom are pretty hilarious. After this show and some previous ones (eh, I think the World Owe's Me a First Love one or whatever it was called), I guess mainland China is way different as far as allowing dating / living together before marriage, etc. I can't imagine my aunties or mom pushing me to live with a boy while still at uni. Of course, they grew up in America, home of the puritans. But an interesting thing to me. Also very different from Korean shows.

So, enjoying the lightness of it even though it seems imminently predictable plot-wise. Oh, and I do like the little "Easter eggs" they have at the end of every episode where they show a little "hidden" scene. It's pretty adorable.

I might wind up pausing in the middle, if it gets too teenage angsty, but we'll see. I could always alternate it with something else.

Edit 13 May (80 minutes, 830 calories + arm workout): Okay, so maybe Situ Mo and crush dude had actually for real dated, but he pretended not to be with her because of...reasons? So was basically an ass to her. Glad she flat out turned him down now that he's desperate about losing her. I mean, dude, you pushed her away for YEARS and I don't see why you're surprised she's now over it.

Now we're on to the part where Momo and Weiyi both like each other but are jealous without reason...Weiyi hurrying home to be with her, but then mad when he finds out she'd met with Fu Pei (not knowing she ditched the dude at the restaurant and had been forced to go by meddling girl from high school) and getting dating advice from his professor (which is hilarious) and Momo getting prickly whenever he brings up his sunbae at school (the pretty girl). It's not overly angsty though, so I'm not annoyed. Show in general is still super cute.

Edit 14 May (80 minutes, 999 calories): Man, they're really drawing out the jealousy/can't quite manage to confess thing. Two more episodes and basically nothing has happened for our main couple. Secondary couple are officially together but, meh, I don't care about them really. He's a self-absorbed ass and she's so self-sacrificial that she's screwing up Gu Weiyi's chances too (but, at least he told her that...). I had a suspicion that there were too many episodes of this one and I might be right. Though I guess it's okay; the viewer knows there's no actual threat at all. He's got no interest in pretty science-y girl and she's got no feelings left for ex. But still, get on with it.

Bonus is that I am really enjoying the interactions with the meddling professor.

Edit 15 May (80 minutes, 1063 calories + 20 minutes stretches) Really really really drawing it out. Boy. Though it is enjoyable, but also cringe-y. At least Weiyi finally realises Fu Pei is no threat. And at the end of episode whatever I'm on (14?), Momo flat out asks him if he likes her. Please, please, please let that be the impetus to move things forward and not another step back.

Edit 18 May (today 80 minutes, 1012 calories + 10 minutes shadow boxing) Didn't post the days in-between, but today was episodes 17 and 18. Things are moving along. It's all still sweet. They're still very awkward together. Pushy parents. A kind of asshole-ish Idol Momo is working with on some ads (though he's not that bad compared to the starlet). Not sure what's up with all the girls/women that Weiyi is working with -- at least the one pretty scientist girl hasn't tried at all to be a worm. But the new senior is, eh, I dunno where they're going with her. But, at any rate, enjoying it, though I think the next thing I watch will maybe be a noona romance...

Edit 21 May (84 minutes, 1115 calories + 25 minutes of yoga-ish stretching) Finally finished it today. It was very sweet. I'm not going to bother going back to re-cap the last episodes. Let's just say it ended well and leave it at that. It was very low angst, though they kept teasing like they were going to add in some unnecessary drama. But at least it was just a tease. The leads were adorably awkward and cute through the whole thing. Didn't honestly care about the second leads one way or another and was sometimes tempted to fast forward through their bits. They were okay. Acting was good all the way around, but the leads were the best. The English speaking actors at the end (in the Germany scenes) were...not very good. Honestly, wish they'd just left that part out or done something different.

Am I glad I watched it? Yes. Would I watch it again? Hmm, not the whole thing. I would definitely watch clips though. And I would be comfortable recommending it to others. The Chinese dramas really do have a different feel to them, but out of the CDramas I've seen, this is towards the top of the list -- or maybe even the top of that list. Probably up there with The King's Avatar, but that's an entirely different type of show. Definitely w-a-y better than Accidentally in Love. And I'd have to say I enjoyed this one more than The World Owes Me A First Love. So, yes, definitely worthwhile.

OH! I forgot one thing that cracked me up. They kind of got married in Germany in this bizarre ceremony with an English speaking (it's GERMANY so WHY?) priest dude. Who said his name was (at least, it sounded like this is what he said, but there was no sub-title for it) Jesse Custer. OMFG I nearly died laughing. That had to have been on purpose. Jesse being, of course, the preacher. From Preacher from DC Comics. Who, you know, kills people and whatnot. HAHAHAHAHA