Too Long!
When I saw that Hello, The Sharpshooter (你好, 神枪手) is 40 episodes long, it really made me think twice if I should give this a shot. My first instinct told me that it would be a drag. After all, if you have watched enough of Chinese dramas, you would know how common it is for them to stretch on longer than necessary even when the plot is pretty simple. So, I started this with much apprehension. The cast made me take the risk. Was my instinct right or is this better than I thought? My Hello, The Sharpshooter review below will try provide some answers.40 episodes is indeed too long for Hello, The Sharpshooter. This could have been a much tighter story if the producers had cut it down to 30 episodes or less. There are many fillers and flashbacks which are not necessary. To me, the first 20 episodes or so seems monotonous. There is no excitement to make you crave for more as you watch. Although many Chinese dramas also tend to have boring stretches, there are usually high points or a feeling of anticipation here and there to keep your interest.
However, Hello, The Sharpshooter is pretty flat for half the drama. The story picks up only around Episode 21 when there are more happenings to drive the story forward. I wouldn’t term it as a bad drama but it is certainly nothing great either given the laborious way the story has been told. It is also predictable given some of the cliches and recycled plots.
Old And New Issues
Basically, the plot is about a guy who has selective amnesia and has forgotten about the girl although they used to be a couple. This amnesia theme is nothing new for a romance drama and you can easily predict what is going to happen to his memory loss. Viewers are not told what happened to this couple upfront. Instead, you are merely given hints every now and then through dialogues and flashbacks of their time together. The whole story of what happened to both of them is only revealed much later.
What is different though is the sport chosen as the backdrop to the story. We have enough of winter sports drama such as To Fly With You and Skate Into Love. They are also plenty of e-gaming ones including Falling Into Your Smile. Shooting certainly doesn’t seem as exciting. However, it is a sport that requires focus and mental toughness. Hence, the psychological issues that the drama bring up is an ideal fit for the sport. This is where there is something new being offered to the viewers as mental illness is not a common Chinese drama theme.
The downside though is not to expect much professionalism and in-depth exploration of the psychological disorder afflicting the protagonists. Just like in Dream Garden, if you start judging it through a professional lens, the protagonists’ recovery will seem overly simplistic and unreal. After all, apart from the psychological issues, the drama also has to give air time to the romance, training, friendship, and work. So, it is good as it doesn’t get bogged down with details but would be disappointing if you want a more serious psychological drama.
The Romance
I think most people who choose to watch Hello, The Sharpshooter are doing it for the romance. Personally, the romance of the main couple is sweet. It is also a gradual progress and the relationship is a very supportive one. They communicate with each other when problems arise. So, you can feel a deepening of the relationship as the drama progresses. The guy may be possessive and jealous but in a good and light mannered way. Some will even see it as cute and sweet.
However, what the romance lacks is passion. It is not a steamy kind of romance like what you would get in You Are My Glory. The kisses are limited to mostly pecks which kind of reminds me of Forever And Ever. it is understandable though because of the leads’ psychological issues and thus, the need to take things slow. Furthermore, it is a sports drama and the main character is supposedly a national athlete. So, I guess they have to keep it relatively clean. But that impulse and passion are certainly missing from this couple and as a viewer, it feels lacking in some way.
Acting And Chemistry
The role of Tang Xin is really nothing new for Fair Xing. The character is cute and chirpy and you will get the feeling that you have seen it all before in her previous dramas such as Put Your Head On My Shoulder and My Little Happiness. Therefore, if you are her fan, this one would seem familiar. But there is no breakthrough as far as her acting is concerned.
The same goes for Hu Yu Tian in Hello, The Sharpshooter. He is good-looking and you could be drawn to his eyes. But I find his acting to be pretty bland in this drama as there is little variation in his expressions. Maybe the director wanted it that way since he plays a top shooter who is supposed to have a calm and stable personality. His acting isn’t horrible but it doesn’t give you reason to be impressed either.
When the 2 leads are put together, you will find a big height difference between them. I really think it is time to stop pairing Fair Xing with tall actors as it is getting repetitive despite the supposed cuteness. Their chemistry is visible but nothing extraordinary. Hence, there is little motivation to rewatch their scenes unlike some other on-screen couples who have sizzling chemistry such as the ones in Why Women Love and Love At Night.
My Verdict – A So-So Drama
I think Hello, The Sharpshooter does require a bit of patience to sit through. The plot is drawn out especially for the first half. You can literally leave the drama running in the background while doing something else and you would still be able to follow the story. So, I won’t be surprised if this is tedious to watch for some viewers. For me, I took breaks in between before I completed it as it was too monotonous for binge watching.
Having said that, I can also see how this drama could have its fans. Apart from the leads, the main couple’s romance is a sweet and supportive one. It is a natural progress and not everyone likes a rushed relationship development. It may be slow-moving but each happening is like a building block to the complete story that goes back to their past. I guess if you really like the couple’s interactions and their stable romance, then you might find this enjoyable because the leads are together in most of the scenes. But if you find them to be only an average couple, then this will become a big bore due to the length of the drama.
For this Hello, The Sharpshooter review, I would give it a score of 7/10. It tries to bring up the issue of a mental disorder in a romance which is something refreshing. But it still couldn’t run away from a memory loss cliche which makes it predictable. Overall, it is a case of being a so-so drama – neither entirely good nor bad. In other words, it is forgettable once you have completed the whole 40 episodes with no real urge to rewatch despite a logical layout to the story.
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The biggest problem with the drama is that it's simply quite boring.
I guess I can be considered a fan of the leads, but this pairing is just not very good. It was always obvious to me that neither of these two are great actors, but they choose roles very well to cater to their strengths. In this drama though the characters they are supposed to play should have had more depth than what we've gotten on screen & their chemistry is just too weak. No matter how many fluffy moments we've had in 40 episodes, I just had a hard time immersing myself in their romance.On the positive side there are no love triangles and the leads don't break up. Even the mandatory quarrel/conflict thing that lasted like 2 episodes was quite bearable. I also really liked the second couple.
As juvenile & silly as the portrayal of mental illnesses was in this drama, it's always nice to see this topic talked about wholesomely in an Asian drama.
The OST is very good, it's way better than anything else in this drama.
Most reviewers talk about how draggy it was, 40 episodes yada yada, I think the length was sort of okay, had the drama been just a little bit better written & less hastily filmed, then I think I would have been perfectly fine with the length. Though I must mention air pistol shooting is sure as hell boring to watch. It's like watching pre-fight stares in Dragon Ball Z.
I could talk about how this drama had countless minor annoyances, or that how stupid the villain characters were, but ultimately the biggest problem with the drama is that it's simply quite boring. It's not boring, because the plot drags, but rather it's just not very exciting. Seems like I'm being contradictory here, It's quite difficult to explain what I mean here. For example I really really like the forced cohabitation trope, the way how people adjust to that situation pleases me almost every time. Not in this drama though, the lack of chemistry & the lack of comedy too I guess makes it kind of lifeless.
TLDR: If you are REALLY REALLY bored you can watch this, but make sure you have watched GGS2 & Put Your Head on My Shoulder first.
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Sweet drama but.....
Finally finish this drama.. this drama is sweet and no angst scene.. everything is going well for main lead.. no need to worry just follow the story.. actually I thought this gonna be a complicated drama since the theme is about PTSD..but this really simple drama..I dont even think what will happen next..For me..40 eps is quite too long and makes me boring..
Actually beginning drama is really interesting..after that, you just run in the straight way..
The other couple always have same scenes until few eps..lol i can skip the scene without lost anything ^^:
Well..if you fan with HYT, you should watch.. because he's so handsome despite his flat acting.. the one thing I like about him is his eyes..he know how to look someone his love.. Hope he act better in his next drama..
About fair xing..she did a good job..i like her casual acting..
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It's all about the details✨
To be honest, this drama is not that bad. When you watch, watch it with your full attention because you will only really appreciate it when you notice the slightest connections between their words and actions. For example, in one episode the girl mentioned that she was spoiled by the guy before he got a*n*s1a. Later on, you're going to see how it was so normal for the guy to serve the girl (e.g., buying her pads) even before he remembered everything. You can also see how the girl was so spoiled by the guys with the fact that she doesn't get shy when the guy does something for her. She makes it seem as though the sweet things that the guy does is nothing short of what is "expected" from him. Aside from this, I love the fact that the girl knows so much about the sport, it shows that she's not there for the guy rather she found her passion because of the guy. As an athlete before, I love how the drama portrayed how the mindset of every athlete should be. It shows that when athletes trains, they shouldn't aim to beat other people, but only to become a better version of them. Like I used to think during training, "I am the person I need to beat". This drama shows how even the most talented athletes can be ruined when they focus on others rather than themselves. Lastly, I love the fact that mental health is so important to these athletes. I sincerely envy the fact they have that type of support. I envy how in China, being an athlete can be a profession while in mine, an athlete shouldn't even think of pursuing their sport once they reach a certain age.Was this review helpful to you?
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Entertaining but too long with too many filler sections.
Entertaining but too long with too many filler sections. Skipped through alot of it and didnt miss anything important. I like that they took on the issue of people assuming things about victims of sexual harassment and PTSD, but the writing for the psychiatrist's methods is so ridiculously unrealistic that it's irritating. She would immediately lose their license IRL. The writing was also bad for the explanation of the FLs PTSD because she wouldnt be ok living with a man if she was scared of men.Was this review helpful to you?
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This is a cute drama that uses a sport-centric (air pistol shooting) setting with emphasis on psychological elements having the main leads working together and supporting each other through the healing process. As for the leading couple’s romance, the drama just offers a cute, fluffy, and steadfast relationship and how, years later, they try to navigate through PTSD from an unfortunate event that happened when they were in high school. There are two other couples that also had to handle psychological issues in other to resolve whether they stay together or separate. Although the leading couple has a nice playful chemistry, the healing process took the entire drama’s duration and the viewer doesn’t get to see how the couple gets to be more comfortable with each other and becomes intimate in a healthy and amorous way. There are also too many instances of backstabbing and even a sexual predator that were not really necessary extending the drama to 40 enervating episodes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Should have been a perfect 24 -episode series!
Mental health has honestly been a taboo topic, so I'm glad it's getting more recognition now & even being incorporated in movies & dramas. The chemistry of both leads is amazing! Hu yi tian has definitely gotten better in his acting & our Tang xin - what a blessed girl to have been paired with 2 tall, great looking lads! (Re: PYHOMS). There were some draggy parts unfortunately. Although it was good to show what really happened in the past, I don't think it's necessary to take a whole 38 episodes for our ML to figure it out & remember what really happened. I think this would have been perfect if it was 24 episodes, with no unnecessary story fillers.. I was honestly bored & fast forwarded some parts. Great job to the cast though, & the ost was good too!Was this review helpful to you?
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Unique Storyline, Typical CDrama Faults
The headline kinda sums it up. Parts of the series were also predictable too (Xiaoci getting attacked by Xu Dian). I also think the Xiao Ai trope was revealed too early, though her character was played well.Even when I was getting sick of the typical "Does she like him?/Does he like her?" thing (and almost dropped the series), I really liked Xiaoci's character. Her cunning, hard-to-get nature with Du Lingfeng was spot on, and I like that the series gave her a backstory as to why she is the way that she is.
I'm glad I didn't drop the series, but I'll admit to fast-forwarding through some parts. I think I would recommend this series, but would definitely not put it at the top of my list.
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Sweet, Heartfelt, and.... LONG!!!!
Okay, it helped and showed a lot of themes involving PTSD and mental health, first love, and my favorite thing in the world which is youth dramas and first loves coming together and growing into their own person. Some of it was really messed up, and this made me cry because I've deal with PTSD, for some, the thought never leaves them. It can be their long term. And some seek treatment every day for the rest of their lives. Now, some of it was a little inaccurate. Though I've had selected amnesia, and I've faced my issues head on by complete accident, some of those evasive therapy techniques aren't always the best and always going to the physical source that triggers the problem, it can't actually do more emotional damage, but the story was great. I love the actors in this drama, which honestly kept me to continue the story. Hu Yitian and Xing Fei are my favorite Chinese drama actors, and the spark was amazing. I was actually wondering when they would've worked together. Now I saw. But, I did shed a tear, but the only flaw despite the fact yes, it represented mental health and the #metoo movement. I also really found a strength in Xiaoci that I didn't think I was going to like in the beginning. But, even though she went through her own depression and body dysmorphia, she realized that it's okay to love yourself for who you are. That's okay to love and trust the love that is given, even if it's from an unexpected guy. She's a strong will girl, and actually became one of my favorite characters in the end, just like Chen Hai. They all were despite the bad guys, of course.I think the only thing that I didn't like was that there was too many triggering scenes in there and if you've ever been into any of these situations as a young girl/guy and you get triggered, then the topic isn't really for you. But this was a really good show. Another thing I wanted to add, is that it's too long. The screenwriter went on in too much detail. Like it's their first time writing a script, leaving a great rough draft, but leaving extra details in there that we didn't need to have to be in there. I mean thirty episode max on the story. Other these things. Great show. I don't think I'll watch it again solely for the personal effect on me, but was a great show and if you like Xing Fei and Hu Yitian. Then this is for you.
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Stranger things indeed;)
The storyline, character and relationship development- I find them all to be quite strange and weird. Many things don’t add up. A lot of push and pull, which makes the story drag on for quite a bit. It also seems to be disjointed and disconnected.FL Xing Fei- her acting is pretty much the same in all her other dramas. We all loved her in PYHOMS.. but there doesn’t seem to be any progress or variety in her style or character she plays. Here she’s still acting clumsy and cute- seems to have some psychological disorder with close contact.
ML Hu Yitian- lol aka mr poker face? Or mr one expression face? Hahah... sorry. It’s the same here... He has selected amnesia, and wants to stay away from FL. but.... one episode he will say “ Let’s draw the line in our relationship”... next episode suddenly he’ll be all interested and trying to get closer to her. HUH.. like what’s going on?
The general feel I get is... childish. The whole storyline, characters etc... just childish. The two boys who seem to have so much time on their hands, always gossiping and goofing off.. how are they on the school team??! Lol...
Oh! The house that FL and ML stay in.. looks like the same house in PYHOMS :):) just different deco and colour! Hahah
Looks like I’m dropping this. Rather slow and draggy, and there are 40 episodes!
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