Synopsis
Studious and strong-willed An Kele has always tried to live her life unswayed by others, preferring to judge people with her own eyes. Due to her mother working overseas, she moves in with her aunt and soon encounters a handsome host named Yan Shu. Though fascinated by him, she is determined to work hard in school and be noticed by her upperclassman, Bai Yiran.
Unbeknownst to An Kele, the name "Yan Shu" is just an alias of her classmate Ye Ling, who moonlights as a host to alleviate the crippling debt left behind by his absconded father. While Yan Shu charms with his confident smile and silver tongue, Ye Ling is a brooding school truant—the type of person that the diligent An Kele can't help but dislike.
Though their relationship starts off both bitter and sweet, An Kele and Ye Ling find themselves tied together by fate—and so, the duo face each trial and tribulation that comes their way, chasing the bright future that comes with the rising sun.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Not a lot of reviews on this one so I guess I'll write something. Chao Hua Xi Shi was an enjoyable read if you're looking for something lighthearted and cliche to pass the time after reading Chainsaw Man and Tokyo Ghoul and reminds yourself that's there something meaningful in this world. The story is nothing special, but the art is cute (and the male lead is cute too if that helps). The female lead is your stereotypical hardworking girl with some family problem (Aren't all romance protagonist and their male lead have family problem?). She is a little bit tsundere, which I like, and isn't alldoki-doki over the male lead (which is a turnoff for me in most shojo-like manga because I like my romance slow and steady, like boiling a frog you know?)
The male lead is handsome, but with a tragic background (come on, what with shojo authors and tragic bad boys). Anyway, basically he had 2 identities, one as a host, and one as a student (as if you can't tell from the synopsis, not that it matters because the female lead conveniently can't tell that he's the same person even though his only disguise was wearing a pair of glasses... but manga logic I guess). He had to hide his identity at school (due to stigma), and basically the female lead found herself falling for both personalities, without realizing it's the same guy (GIRL, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS HE WEAR GLASS AT SCHOOL. HE'S NOT JAMES BOND).
The story itself was enjoyable, not too much drama, but just enough drama to make you click the next page on a sad Tuesday night because you need to pretend you don't have a mountain of homework waiting for you and you're just hoping for some fantasy escapism by looking at chibi characters.
Anyway, the side characters are alright, if not a bit stereotypical. I like the female lead best friend a lot, and also the auntie / sister of the female lead. There's a typical mean girl who is the one of the main villains, and you guess it..... she is the Male Lead's ex-girlfriend! And of course the male lead's family is also the villain too....
But it's alright, this isn't Monster, and we can't demand Johannes here.
Anyway, this might come off as if I am critiquing this manga more than enjoying it, but the truth is, it's enjoyable despite all the stereotypical and lack of depth plot. It's cute. It's a nice short read. It doesn't drag out the melodrama for too long. And with 70 chapters, as compared to something like Cheese In The Trap, which I dropped after season 1, because god, it was just so long, this is decent.
Overall. 7/10 for me.
