The Wood | Recap and Review

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A shy boy is crushing on the class's goddess. 

Notable Actors/Actresses

Zhou Chuan Jun: Jiang Mu Fan

Chen Shu Jun: Lin Luo Yan
Chinese Title
一根木頭

A Piece of Wood Head

Genres: Contemporary, Romcom, School, Contemporary Romcom

Network: iQIYI

Year: 2020
Episodes: 7/24
Recap Grade: A

First Impression: 2/5

[Dropped]

Jump to Review

Mini Recaps

[Ep1] It’s the first day of high school. Jiang Mu Fan assures his family he’ll do them proud and promise not to date in high school. He is then partnered with Lin Luo Yan, the class’s goddess, to design the chalkboard because he’s good at drawing. She’s not just a goddess in looks but also in brains. This high school is for top students by the way but she seems to be at the pinnacle. Lin Luo Yan can’t erase the top of the chalkboard. The almost two metre tall Jiang Mu Fan helps but he too has to do an awkward pose to reach the top. She laughs at him. He blankly stares at her not knowing what she’s laughing at. He does fit the title: a piece of wood head. Lol. 

[Ep2] Jiang Mu Fan and Lin Luo Yan’s chalkboard artwork is not only elaborate in literature and design but it also glows in the dark. 

Jiang Mu Fan accidentally walks in on Lin Luo Yan changing. He apologizes and bangs his head on the door while bowing. That night he keeps dreaming of her, especially after being mesmerized by her speech where she was wearing a simple white dress. He tells himself he must stay away from her. It’s better to not start something that won’t have a happy ending. This boy is way too serious for me.

The next day he oversleeps and she has to fill in for him during the class's read out loud. During recess, he repeatedly practices on how to apologize to her for the change room mishap. He practices so much, other students think he’s crazy. 

[Ep3] Shao Tian Yang bullies Lin Luo Yan because he think she tattled on him reading lewd magazines. Jiang Mu Fan helps her fix up the classroom that Shao Tian Yang messed up. Every time he wants to apologize, another male student would always interrupt. He finally gets the chance to apologize but he’s as clumsy as ever and continuously bumps into her or steps on her shoe. He apologizes some more. 

With the apology session over, Jiang Mu Fan promises to himself that he’ll seal his feelings for Lin Luo Yan but the next day with one movement from her, his feelings waver again. They had won the chalkboard design competition and she moved in close to him for the picture. A shoulder touch makes his heart fly. 

[Ep4] Jiang Mu Fan’s grandfather is hospitalized. This gives him even more stress and he performs poorly on the first exam. Angry at himself, he rips off all his certificates of excellency on the wall and packs them away along with his trophy. He tapes up his failed test to force himself to improve. 

The class is on a trip to a farm. The girls cook and the boys gather firewood. Da Zui (Big Mouth) eats sweet and sour square ribs that are charred to blackness just because Xia Ya cooked it. Lin Luo Yan makes the only edible dish and it’s gone in seconds. Is there anything this girl can’t do? Her food drops to the table and still Jiang Mu Fan gathers everything just to have a taste of her food. 

[Ep5] Lin Luo Yan bandages the wound on Jiang Mu Fan’s hand. He injured his hand when he protected a bag of falling corns from falling on her. On the bus ride back, he’s last to get on the bus and gets to sit next to Lin Luo Yan. She falls asleep on his shoulders. He blocks the sun for her. When he’s back home, he finds her hair on his shirt. 

Jiang Mu Fan’s grandfather passed away. He’s the one who taught him that if he was going to love someone, he better love that person forever. 

[Ep6] Xia Ya secretly gives Jiang Mu Fan notes for the day of class he missed because of his grandfather’s funeral but Lin Luo Jin gives hers first. She’s thanking him for guarding her journal so that no one read it. Xia Ya takes her notebook back. 

Shao Tian Yang bullies Lin Luo Yan after class. Du Xin Yue, the bookstore owner’s daughter, protects her. The bullying continues in school and no one volunteers for her event (she’s the class president). No one but Jiang Mu Fan who also voluntold his buddy, Cheng Yi. 

[Ep7] Lin Luo Yan treats Du Xin Yue for dinner to thank her for helping her. Du Xin Yue takes her pooling. Her boyfriend seems to take a liking to Lin Luo Yan though. 

Jiang Mu Fan’s abstract drawings are interpreted as a naked woman’s body by the boys in class. One of them thinks he drew Lin Luo Yan. Xia Ya comforts him that if he drew it from an artistic standpoint then that’s okay. He smiles. But nothing can compare to Lin Luo Yan simply sitting in his desk. He touches his desk where she touched and the chair where she sat.  

Jiang Mu Fan is still performing poorly on his tests (along with Xiao Li). 

[Ep8]
[Ep9]
[Ep10]
[Ep11]
[Ep12]

Remarks

[First Impression (Ep1-7)] Appearance wise, I think Jiang Mu Fan is more godly looking than Lin Luo Yan is a goddess. Personality wise, he’s not my favourite type of guy. Too shy. Way too shy. He needs to practice forever just to apologize to his crush. He can’t even speak properly to her. This drama tries to capture the subtlety in their romance; it’ll focus on the tiniest things to bring out the innocence in his feelings (e.g. her sitting in his seat, her shoulders touching his, etc.).  I find this a little boring. I usually like my subtle high school romance dramas but this one is a tad too subtle.

[Actors/Actresses] I don't know anyone. Jiang Mu Fan / Zhou Chuan Jun is cute though.

[Dropped] I tried to like this because I usually like this stuff (light, sweet, high school romance) but I’m not buying into the chemistry enough to continue this.